Dark
by tiakallRiikii
Summary: Er...exactly as it sounds. Six years after the fall of Talpa, a new evil arrives to shatter the Ronin forces...Rated PG-13 for violence, death, and a limey situation. Complete.
1. Timeline: +6 years

Timeline: +6 years  
  
Cye stared into the breakfast he had been preparing, looking melancholy. Lately he had gotten into the habit of doing that. It had been six years...six years since the fall of Talpa and the evil Dynasty. They had thought it was over...  
Three years ago, new forces, stronger forces had emerged from the Dynasty. It was unknown whether Kayura and the three remaining ex-warlords had survived. Most likely they had not. The Ronins were needed to fight again...  
Mia and White Blaze had been killed in the inital onslaught. Ryo had been crushed by the loss of his tiger companion. Sage had been devastated by Mia's death, until his own followed it a year later...  
Rowen had also been killed in that horrible attack two years ago. He had died without a sound, but Sage had breath and time enough to tell the three remaining warriors to take care of themselves and the Earth...  
Cye was an orphan now. Not that it mattered; he was twenty-two and could do as he liked. All of his known relatives had been killed. Kento's entire family was also dead, along with Rowen's. The only surviving members of Sage's family were some distant relatives who hadn't even known him. Ryo had been an orphan all his life, but seeing his friends' losses somehow deepened his own.  
Cye briefly wondered if Yuli had survived the new Dynasty's attacks. He made a mental note to look up the kid sometime. He would be how old now...sixteen?  
His mental reprieve was interrupted as footsteps sounded on the stairway. Ryo and Kento, the only other people in the house, were coming down to breakfast. Cye made an attempt at being cheerful. "Hi, guys!"  
Ryo returned the greeting, but Kento sat down with a mumble. It worried Cye to see his fun-loving friend so depressed. He tried again. "Is my cooking so bad that it made you lose your voice?"  
Kento looked up at Cye with a faint smile. "Your cooking is _never_ bad."  
Ryo grinned. "Well, I'll go wake--" He stopped. Before the return of the Dynasty, Rowen, who was very hard to get up in the mornings, usually had to be woken in a variety of creative and unpleasant ways. It was usually Sage and Ryo who did the job.  
Ryo had forgotten. They all did ocasionally.  
There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Ryo walked out of the room. "I'll check the news." The news was the easiest way to keep track of the Dynasty's activities. At first, it had been a concentrated attack on the Ronins themselves, but time had passed, friends had been lost and the team had weakened. Now the Dynasty had opened its area of attack to a lot of places, many out of reach. Ryo only wished the reporters wouldn't cover the Dynasty. It wasn't worth the price of a journalist's life just to know where the Dynasty was.  
  
"Got it," Ryo said as Kento and Cye came in the living room, having just finished breakfast. "They're at Yakomshi harbor again, plundering the warehouses." Yakomshi Harbor was a big business section.  
Cye made another attempt to cheer his friends. "Oh, was that you, Ryo? I thought a black squirrel was perched on the couch."  
Ryo managed a grin as he sat up. His thick black hair, which used to hang around his shoulders, now dangled below his shoulder blades. "I'll get it cut...eventually...."  
"That's what you said three months ago!"  
"Ah well. No rest for the good guys. Let's go kick some Dynasty butt at Yakomshi."  
  
The three Ronins armored up. Kento and Ryo went out the door, but Cye hung back. "Guys..."  
Ryo paused, holding onto the passenger door of Mia's old jeep. "Yeah?"  
"Well..." Cye began awkwardly, "it's just that..." He raised his head, eyes watering. "We've been through a lot, and we never know how many of us will come back to this house...I just wanted to say that you guys are the world to me. Everything. So let's be careful, okay?"  
Ryo smiled, a sad, soft smile. "Right."  
  
In a dark corner of the Nether Realm, a figure was seated, seemingly in meditation. The two figures before him did not move, waiting for orders. After what seemed like an eternity, the meditating figure opened his glowing red eyes.   
"The signs show that now is the time. You know what you are to do."  
"Yes sir," both warriors replied in unison.  
  
Outside the room, two women ducked out of sight as the warriors left to do whatever they had been ordered. One woman looked at the other. "What do you suppose that was about?"  
"Supposedly there's something big going down," the other woman replied with a shrug. "What, no one knows except for the Smileys and the Master himself."  
The first woman rolled her eyes at the nicknames the second had given the two warriors. "Get serious. This is no time for games; they could find us and kill us at any time. You do want to get out of here eventually, don't you?"  
"Yeah..."  
The two women went back to their section where they worked.  
  
"C'mon," Kento said, looking at the ruins of one warehouse; a toy place by the looks of the debris. "What are they waitin' for, a parade? Makes no sense to just bash this place and run off."  
Ryo looked at one piece at his feet. It was a doll, mostly unharmed. It was carefully handcrafted, a young woman with long black hair and soft features--  
Ryo blinked. He had seen a woman like that before! He didn't know where, he couldn't remember anyone that even vaugely resembled the picture that had just flashed through his mind. He went to pick up the doll, only to have something explode at his feet, annihilating it.  
"Heads up!" Cye yelled. "Trouble's arrived!"  
"So nice to see you again, Ronins," a silibant voice hissed from the rooftop of a surviving building. The figure was dressed in black, similar to the style of a ninja. The only area uncovered was the area of face around equally black eyes which lacked whites. The actual skin in contrast was as white as paper.  
"Well," Kento snorted conteptuously, "if it isn't Tweedledee and Tweedledum."  
The other figure sprang out from a nearby pile of rubble. "We are the Twin Slashers, you insolent whelp," he hissed.  
"Prepare for your deaths, Ronins!" the first exclaimed, jumping down from his perch.  
"Bring it on," Kento said dangerously.  
  
The meditator, also known as the Master of the Nether Realms, watched by way of a mystical fire as the battle unfolded. "The Ronins are powerful," he mused to himself. "But not infinitely so. They can be defeated. The have already been weakened. But still, the Twin Slashers, promising as they may be, are no match for them. Yet..."  
Outside, the second woman, the one who had made fun of the Twin Slashers, listened carefully. She was more worried about this situation than her friend, who only concentrated on getting out.  
The woman pushed a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes. Her friend often teased her about wanting to save the world rather than herself. Still, there was something about this that the woman didn't like. She continued to listen.  
"Not yet, my faithful warriors...It is not yet time. You shall know when to release the heart of darkness..."  
The woman outside barely held in a gasp. The heart of darkness was one of the most powerful spells she knew of. But not lethal...it was used for...  
The woman got up and began to run. She had to tell her friend!  
  
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"  
Somehow, the Twin Slashers managed to dodge Kento's surekill. Kento cursed. "Blast them! Their center moves around as much as they do; that's why I can't get in a clear shot."  
"Where'd they go?" Ryo growled, looking around. It appeared the two had vanished from sight.  
"Don't be fooled--" Cye warned, then broke off with a cry as one of the twins appeared behind him, stabbing him in the side. Cye pulled away and swung wildly with his yari. The twin easily blocked the blow and moved in to strike again. Kento blocked his next strike, managing to land a blow in square on the twin's chest. The warrior fell back and disappeared again.  
"Back to back!" Ryo yelled at Kento and Cye, trying to spot where the twins would appear next.   
One reappeared behind Ryo, grabbing and holding him. The other appeared in front, and attempted to skewer Ryo on his swords.  
"SUPAH WAVE SMASHUH!"  
The twin in front took Cye's attack full in the side, bouncing off a few rocks nicely before skidding to a stop. Ryo stepped on the foot of the twin holding him, causing the twin to release him. "Nice one, Cye!"  
"Thanks, Ryo."  
~Now is the time,~ one twin thought to the other.  
~Yes.~  
The two began to skip in and out of visibility, slowly drawing closer.  
~A distraction, perhaps?~  
~Perhaps.~  
Ryo felt the ground under his feet vibrate. "Stay sharp, guys." Something slammed into his side, knocking the breath out of him. As he fell, his vision was partially obscured by flying rocks. The Twin Slashers were levitating the wreakage.  
Cye fell through the screen of boulders. Kento was not so lucky, being trapped on top of one of the larger ones. The boulders began to move, spinning and shifting in midair. "Oh, man, I think I'm going to be sick!"  
As quickly as it had began, the boulders dropped back to the ground. Ryo jumped, just missing being smashed. Cye was caught. Kento was thrown back to the earth abruptly, dazing him.   
Cye moaned. "Help, I'm being smashed!"  
Kento managed to get up. "Hold on, Cye..."  
The twins reappared. "Nice trick, Ryo?" one hissed.  
"It was rotten. Just like you," he spat.  
"I'm offended," said the other twin from behind him.   
~Now.~  
"Heart of darkness," they hissed in unison.  
Threads of blackness sprang from their hands, enveloping Ryo. They tightened, cutting into his skin. Ryo cried out.  
Kento turned. "Ryo!"  
"Help Cye!" Ryo managed to gasp out.  
Kento nodded, applying more force to the rock that pinned Cye. By brute force, Kento levered the rock off of Cye, who gasped in air painfully.  
Ryo struggled against the black force, but the more he moved, the less he could move.  
~I think we should not allow Kento to interfere.~  
~What were you thinking?~  
~Let us finish this job at home.~  
~That is a good plan.~  
Kento dashed toward the twins and Ryo. He was almost upon them when all three vanished. He stopped in shock. Then the reality of what the twins had done hit him.  
He had lost another friend.  
  
Ryo found himself in another place altogether, the cursed twins still on either side of him. "What are you doing?" he growled.  
The twins ignored him. One moved forward, disappearing into the darkness. Ryo tried struggling again, but the blackness had stuck him so thoroughly that he could not move at all.   
The twin that had left reappeared, giving the other twin a look. Both vanished, leaving Ryo alone.  
Ryo looked around, curious. What was going on here?  
A cold wind blew through the room, chilling Ryo to the bone. "Who's there?"  
Something moved around him. Then, two glowing red eyes appeared in front of him. "Welcome, Ryo of the Wildfire."  
"Who are you?" he said, narrowing his eyes dangerously.  
The eyes almost seemed to smile as the person they belonged to took on a solid form, a human entirely dressed in black. "I am the Master of World's Darkness, ruler of the Nether Realm. And you...are going to help me."  
"Ha."  
"Oh, you don't have a choice in the matter, Ryo." The man touched the blackness enveloping Ryo. It shrank in on itself, causing Ryo to grimace in pain, then expanded to form a black sphere completely trapping him. Ryo tried to move, and found himself still as immobile as before. Dark energy rippled around the surface of the translucent black sphere. A thread of energy leapt from the surface to impact on Ryo. He screamed.  
"If you give in, it will make this much easier."  
"Never," Ryo snarled.  
  
"I'm telling you what I heard," the second woman gasped.   
"It's impossible. And even if it was, what would the Master _do_ with it?"  
"I, well, I don't know."  
Both women paused outside their customary hiding place. They could hear what sounded like a heated argument going on, punctuated by cries of pain.   
The first woman shook her head. "Whoever it is, I feel sorry for them."  
  
Cye woke up, and gasped in pain as his injured side caught him. Kento's face peered into his. "You're awake! That's good."  
"Wha..." Cye said as he tried to get up, wincing in pain.  
Kento pushed him back down. "You're back at the house, Cye, and you took quite a bashing. A couple of your ribs are broken at least."  
"Where's Ryo?"  
Kento paused, turning away, then spun and faced Cye. "Those twin creeps caught him. I don't know what happened to him."  
The look on Cye's face was painful to Kento. "No...that can't be right..."  
Kento nodded slowly.  
Cye attempted to move. "The Dynasty..."  
Kento looked at his friend. "You've gotta be nuts. You shouldn't even be moving."  
"But..I gotta.."  
"Leave them to me."  
"No!" Cye sat upright in bed, disregarding the pain that action caused. "What if they get you, too?"  
Kento stared off, out the window. "I guess that's a chance I'll have to take. I won't say I'll be careful; Sage was careful. Ryo was careful. I'll just do the best I can to get back here."  
  
Ryo had held off the dark energy pulsing into his body for as long as he could. But the magic was just too powerful. As the sphere faded, the Master looked at his new warrior. Ryo appeared unchanged, except for the cold expression on his face and his glowing red eyes.   
"Ah, good..." the Master sighed. "Welcome, my new warrior. Your mission will be to destroy those who stand in my way."  
"I live to serve my master," Ryo replied.  
  
The two Twin Slashers stood outside the door. ~So this is what the Master wished,~ one said.  
~I do not like him. He is an enemy. He will destroy us. I fear him.~  
~None escape the heart of darkness. He will obey the Master.~  
The two walked off, not noticing the two women in the shadows.  
"A new warrior, huh," the first said. "I don't like the sound of that."  
"Me neither," the other woman agreed.  
  
Cye didn't remember falling alseep, only that Kento had offered him a drink of something to kill the pain...Next thing he knew, the morning sunlight was streaming through the curtains. Kento came into the room, carrying a tray of food. "Mornin, Cye!"  
"Kento, you drugged me last night!" Cye accused.  
Kento got a guilty look, then tried to look innocent. When Cye glared at him, he sighed and gave up. "It was for your own good, honest! Anyway, I made you breakfast."  
"Since when can you cook?" Cye asked, looking at the food, mouth watering.  
"I could ALWAYS cook!" Kento cried indignantly. "You don't grow up in a family of cooks and not know how! You just enjoy it so much I left you to it."  
"Thanks, pal."  
"Well, eat up," Kento said, getting up to leave.  
"Where are you going?"  
"They're back at Yakomshi," Kento replied.  
"Oh, no, Kento," Cye moaned. "Don't go out there."  
"Cye, if I don't go to them, they'll come to us. And you can't be found right now. I _have_ to do this."  
"Okay." Tears welled in Cye's eyes. "Do your best."  
"You know it," Kento said with a cockiness he did not feel. Then he was gone.  
Tears dripped onto Cye's blankets. Please, he said to himself. I don't care if Kento wins, I don't care if he loses, just please, let him come back!  
  
The sun had long since gone down and Kento had not returned. Cye was very afraid. He forced his way out of bed and was halfway down the stairs when he heard the front door open. He leaned up against the wall, hardly daring to breathe.  
"Cye?" Kento's voice sounded weary.  
"Kento!" Cye cried, relieved, as he made his way down the stairs.  
Kento met him. "Cye! I told you not to get out of bed! Am I going to have to drug you tomorrow?"  
"I was worried! The sun's already gone down."  
"I know," Kento said tiredly. He picked up his friend and set him on the couch in the living room. "I'll get us some food, then I'll tell you what happened."  
  
Kento stirred his bowl of stew. Despite the fact that he must have been starved, he hadn't touched his food. "Kento, what happened today?"  
"I was in a fight all day," Kento replied. "I didn't get a break until an hour ago. The jeep got blown up, so I had to take the long way."  
"All day? The Twin Slashers aren't that good to keep you busy that long..."  
"No. It wasn't the Twin Slashers."   
"You mean there's a new champion for the Dynasty?"  
"Yes."  
"Who?"  
Kento paused a long time before replying, "Ryo."  
  
Kento had arrived on the scene of destruction from yesterday, fully prepared for whoever should step out.  
"Looking for someone to fight, Kento? That eager to get yourself killed?"  
Kento spun, then gaped. "Ryo! Ryo?"  
Ryo, in full armor, hopped down from the rock he had been sitting on. "That's right, Kento. Look well upon my face. It'll be the last one you see."  
Kento barely brought his tetsubo up in time to block Ryo's strike. "Ryo! It's me, Kento! Snap out of it!"  
"There's nothing to 'snap out' of, Kento. I work for the Dynasty now."  
"No!" Kento staggered back, pushed by the savagery of Ryo's blows. Ryo pressed his advantage. "And when I'm done with you, you injured friend Cye will join you and Sage and Rowen in death!"  
"Why you--" Kento noticed that Ryo's normally blue eyes were a glowing red, lacking whites or pupils. "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"  
Ryo easily dodged the attack.   
  
"What? That can't be right!"  
"It's right. I was fighting him all day, I should know. Complete with the armor of Wildfire. He used his Flare Up Now on me several times." Cye seemed to notice for the first time that Kento had a burned patch on his cheek. "I tried talking with him all day. Nothing I said got through to him. He only responded with more insults and taunts. He's being controlled by the Dynasty."  
Cye put down his bowl. "This is bad. We all said we'd die before this happened, but this is worse than death. What are we going to do?"  
"Whatever we can, but I don't see what we can do. There's no Ancient One to help us out this time, just the two of us and our armors. Until we figure out something," Kento said, rising, "we're going to have to regard him as an enemy. Well, at least I will. You still have to rest."  
"Kento, you've got to be crazy! You're in no condition to fight tomorrow, you're dead exhausted!"  
"No I'm not," Kento lied. "I'll just get a good rest tonight and some food in me, and I'll be ready to go tomorrow." He carried his bowl (somehow he had eaten his entire bowl while recounting his tale) back to the kitchen.  
This is really it, Cye thought as he watched Kento leave. Sage and Rowen dead, Ryo on the Dynasty's side, and Kento dead tired but determined to go fight. He'll get killed, and I'm no match for the Dynasty as it is. "Let me get that for you, Kento!"  
  
When Kento woke up, it was almost noon. "Oh my gosh! I must've overslept--" He remembered Cye giving him something to drink "--or Cye drugged me! Cye! Where are you?" Kento dashed from room to room, looking for his injured friend. Cye was nowhere to be found.  
Kento took enough time to watch the news before rushing out the door to help Cye.  
  
"Flare Up Now!"  
"Supah Wave Smashuh!"  
The two attacks met head on. While Cye was still weak, the water did have an advantage over fire. Not that it mattered much. Ryo's attack won out, slamming Cye into a rock.  
"You're done for, Cye," Ryo said with a laugh.  
Cye didn't say anything in response to Ryo's taunt, just struggled to get up.  
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"  
Kento's surekill caught Ryo square in the chest, slamming him _through_ some rocks. Kento knelt by his friend. "Cye! What are you, crazy?! What are you doing? You shouldn't even be out of bed!"  
Cye grinned. "I was feeling well enough to call up my armor and get to the lake. Water heals me, remember?"  
Kento stopped and grinned. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."  
Ryo emerged out of the rubble his unscheduled flight had caused. "Oh, good. Since you're both in one place, I can kill you both here."  
"Ryo.." Cye said. Kento grabbed his arm. "Listen," he whispered harshly. "Either we rough him up or he kills us. There's no middle ground until we discover how to free him of whoever's controlling him. Got it?"  
"Yeah, I know...but still, this is _Ryo_..."  
"I know."  
  
The Master of World's Darkness watched as Ryo began to be forced back by the combined pressing attacks of the two Ronins.  
"He is losing, Master," one of the twins said from behind him.  
"I know. I expected if both Ronins fought, he would lose."  
"Then why send him into battle, Master?"  
There was a pause before the Master responded. "I wished to test his abilites. I suspect something...I think he has hidden powers he has not unlocked yet..."  
The twins exchanged glances. "Hidden abilities?"  
"You shall see," was the Master's reply. "His personal strength builds...When it reaches its peak, Ryo shall be unstoppable."  
"And then the mortal realms shall fall."  
  



	2. Timeline: +7 years

Timeline: +7  
  
The Twin Slashers looked at the unimposing Ryo, unsure. "Master?"  
In the shadows, the Master watched. "Go ahead. He's giving you a head start."  
"How generous," a twin sneered as he made a sudden charge, the other twin matching him perfectly for a flank attack.  
There was a flash of red, a sensation of flying, then the hard impact of a wall behind the twins.   
"What?"  
Ryo merely smiled, a fireball in each hand. He made a casual motion with his arms, the fireballs whizzing out of his hands and smashing against both twins.  
The Master made a gesture with one hand. "That is enough, Ryo. You have proven yourself."  
~What happened?~  
~This must be the special abilites the Master has been trying to unlock.~  
~Pyrokinesis?~  
~We'll be lucky if it's that simple.~  
  
The second woman backed away from the hole she had made in the wall.   
"What was it?" the first woman asked. She pushed a lock of smooth black hair out of her face.  
"Pyrokinesis, at the least. He just hurled the Smileys into a wall with a pair of fireballs before they could react, without even thinking about it. They didn't even know what hit them until he did it again."  
"Was that it?"  
"Probably not, Setsuna. I'm guessing his talent lies in total control over any fire he's within a reasonable distance of."  
She blinked. "Reasonable distance?"  
"Probably at least a few miles."  
"You call that reasonable distance?" Setsuna said with a raised eyebrow.  
"He doesn't strike me as the long-range type." the other woman said with a shrug.  
"You're a riot, Haruka."  
"Thanks." She got up from her position from the hole. "They left the room, but let's go somewhere where we can talk."  
"Right."  
  
"I feel sorry for whoever that Ryo has to fight," Setsuna remarked as she continued to monitor her frying pan.  
"Y'know, it's funny," Haruka remarked, sucking on a blonde curl as she continued to sweep. "He's been here for a year, and yet nobody knows much about him. He doesn't talk to anyone."  
"What would they talk about? 'Hi, I'm Setsuna, how'd the Dynasty get a hold of you?'"  
Haruka giggled. "Yeah, but still, he's a total blank."  
"Why don't you do a divining on him?"  
Haruka's main power was divining, picking up memories and information off of objects and people. She also had a bit of talent in telepathy and empathy. "I'd have to have him, or at least part of him, there. Tell me how I would talk him into it."  
"Okay, okay. I don't know how that divining stuff works anyway."  
"No more than I know how to heal!" Setsuna was a healer of more than a little talent, one of the main reasons she was still alive while her fmaily had been killed five years ago. The fact that women were weak in the eyes of the Master and therefore unable to fight was one of the reasons about twenty women, including Setsuna and Haruka, had been spared from the massacres that the Master had moved through the rebuilding Dynasty. The fact that the Master had needed some people to cook, rasie food, clean the castle, and do other jobs was the other.  
A small child of about five came into the room. "Miss Setsuna? Miss Haruka?"  
"Hello, Hitako, what's happening?" Haruka was fond of the little orphan, who promised to have pyrokinetic abilites when she was older.  
"Miss Makota says there's a strange disturbance. She's coming to talk to you."  
"Thanks, Hitako," Haruka said, snatching a piece of food off the counter and giving it to the child.  
"Haruka.."  
"You won't miss it."  
Makota came in the room. She was a tall woman with long silver hair, and matching eyes. Her brown skin made Haruka's look pale by comparison. Setsuna, who was naturally pale, looked ghostlike next to her. "There is a disturbance."  
"If ya mean Ryo," Haruka commented, snagging another piece of food and munching on it, "the Master finally unlocked him. At the least, he's a pyrokinetic. Ouch!" she yelped as Setsuna hit her with the spoon.  
"It's more than that," Makota said. "The Master's champion has tremendous power that is purely that--power. He's using it for something."  
Setsuna looked worried. "I can't leave my cooking."  
Haruka put up her broom. "I'll go. I was done here, anyway." With that she sprinted off toward her peephole.  
  
Haruka couldn't see a thing. The room, which was normally lit by a few eerie candles, was immersed in darkness. That worried her.  
A pinpoint of light abruptly glared through the darkness. Haruka shielded her eyes, then looked back. It took her a few seconds to realize the light was coming from Ryo's eyes and she was looking at his profile.  
"Ksie ka heira forji no mandora ke Hashiba nao trii Date kori ponta.."  
Using the little bit of light from Ryo's eyes, she jotted down the words. They didn't sound familiar at all, but even she could feel the power radiating from them, and she was no Makota. A ball of light appeared. Haruka could make out the shape of Ryo's hand, and realized he must be holding a concentrated ball of fire. Why not just light a candle? she thought to herself as she continued to write.  
"..ki maju resta ion tial fornda ka. KA!"  
A _very_ bright light illuminated the entire room. Haruka barely held back a cry and rubbed at her eyes. Finally enough of her eyesight returned for her to peer back through the hole. The room had darkened to its previous dimness, but Haruka could make out not one but three red points in the room.  
She snuck back out.  
  
Makota pondered over the words, occasionally asking Haruka to pronounce one. "This is bad," she said to herself.  
"I got as many words as I could. I had to guess at the spelling of some. What is it?" Haruka asked breathlessly.  
"A very powerful spell" was all Makota would say. "Tell me what you saw."  
"It was completely dark, then Ryo's eyes lit up red. I guess he was powering up or something. Then he started saying those words. Balls of concentrated fire appeared in his hands, about when he got here," Haruka said, pointing. "Then, at the end, there was this huge flash of light, and I couldn't see what happened. When I looked back, it looked the same before, only there were three red lights instead of one. I figured maybe it was a reflection."  
"Oh, it wasn't a reflection. It is as I suspected," Makota said.  
"What is it?" Setsuna asked.  
"It is a spell of darkness, but one of life. This spell can bring those who have died, back, and completely enslaved in the dark power. Indeed, it is the dark power that keeps them alive."  
"You mean that the good guys are going to have to deal with not just Ryo but three of them?" Haruka gasped.  
"Yes. It doesn't look good. The Master may win."  
"Don't say that!" Setsuna snapped. "We can't give up until it's over. Is there any way to break them free of the dark energy?"  
"I suppose," Makota mused. "It would probably be as difficult as breaking Ryo free from the heart of darkness, though. Even if they were released, which is unlikely, they would probably die immdiately in the abscene of dark energy."  
"Thanks for the cheering up," Haruka muttered."  
  
Ryo snorted to himself as he walked down the hall. Mindless slaves, that's all he'd made, and completely in the control of the dark energy which resided inside the two. Those who could not think in battle were useless, merely fancy Dynasty soldiers.  
Ryo pushed it out of his mind. He had a job to do.  
  
"Nuthin'" Kento said, flipping through the channels again. "No Ryo, no Twin Slashers. It's like the Dynasty is taking a day off."  
"We should be glad," Cye commented.   
"I would be...if I thought it didn't mean they were up to something worse."  
Cye plopped onto the other end of the couch. "What's this? Kento thinking?"  
"Oh, leave me alone," Kento said, trying to hide his grin.  
  
The woman was sitting huddled on the floor. Her clothing had been reduced to rags and her exposed skin was covered in bruises and cuts. She seemed to be meditating.  
The woman looked up as Ryo came into the small prison cell. She blinked twice. "Ryo??"  
"Lady Kayura," he replied. "You should know why I am here."  
Kayura merely closed her eyes in sympathy. "They're controlling you."  
"Yes. There is no way to break this spell, so don't even try. Save your energy for telling me what the Master wants to know."  
Kayura smiled and turned her head away. "I won't. I would not tell the Twin Slashers. I'm not going to tell you."  
Unexpectedly her leg felt hot. She looked down and saw it was on fire. She screamed in pain and beat at the flames until they subsided. She looked up at him, shocked. When was he able to do _that_? she thought to herself.  
"Like my new trick, Kayura?" A ball of fire appeared in his hand. He leaned in close to her, ice-blue eyes locking on hers. "You can avoid this. Simply tell me where the armors of Loyalty and Illusion are located."  
Wordlessly, she shook her head.  
Her screams echoed through the deserted hall.  
  
When Kento awoke the next morning, he could smell something good. He practically dashed down the stairs. "PANCAKES!!"  
Cye laughed as he flipped one on the skillet. He had already amassed a large stack for the bottmonless pit known as Kento. "Yes, I know they're your favorites."  
"All right! With these, we can face anything the Dynasty can throw at us!"  
"The world is going to be saved by pancakes?"  
Both Ronins dissolved into helpless laughter.  
  
Kayura curled up in a ball, eyes shut tight in pain. She had stopped trying to put out the flames, and they now moved over her, badly burning her skin. Third degree burns covered her body. Ryo stood above her, watching her burn impassively.   
The Master stepped into the room. Ryo waved a hand, extinguishing the flames. "Well?" the Master asked.  
Ryo shook his head. "She won't talk. She's barely alive."  
The Master looked at the huddled, injured form on the ground. "A few more times of this and she will break," he predicted.  
Ryo looked at him oddly. The Master continued. "Prepare to take your new comrades to Earth, Ryo. You're going to introduce them to our enemy."  
"Of course, Master." Ryo bowed and left the room.  
The Master stepped out the door. "Send for the healer immediately," he told the nearest person.  
  
Setsuna entered the room, Haruka on her heels, carrying her tools. She gasped as she took a look at the figure on the floor.   
"Do not fail me, Setsuna," The Master said as he left the room. Setsuna swallowed nervously, then knelt down by the burned woman.  
"This is horrible," Haruka said.  
Setsuna placed her hands on the woman's arm. She winced and gave a small cry of pain. "I won't need my tools yet, Haruka. This requires more than tools."   
A blue aura emanated from Setsuna and she concentrated, letting herself fall into her magic. The aura expanded to surround the fallen woman, mending her burns.   
Setsuna felt for the woman's life force. It was very weak. If it went too much lower, the woman would die. She fed energy into the woman, pushing her toward consciousness.  
The woman gasped, then opened her eyes. She moved weakly away from Setsuna.  
"Don't worry," Setsuna said kindly. "I'm here to help you."  
"Why couldn't you just let me die?" the woman gasped.  
"Because it would have been both our necks," Haruka said, passing Setsuna some bandages.  
"So?" she said, hissing in pain as Setsuna applied a bandage to her leg. "I don't care. I don't deserve to live. I should have been with my friends in death. Anubis..Sekhmet..Cale...Dais.." She sobbed out the last name.  
"As long as there is life, there is hope," Setsuna said, continuing to bandage the woman. "One day, this will end. You must believe that."  
"I can't. I've seen too many die already."  
"I know," replied Setsuna. "I watched my entire family be massacred. Yet I still live."  
"Not if they have Ryo," the woman replied.  
The two exchanged glances. "You know of him?"  
The woman paused. Finally she spoke. "When the first Dynasty, with Talpa at its head...He made me fight for him against my will. The Ronins defeated him...But with Ryo on the side of the Dynasty..."  
"He was a powerful ronin?" Haruka asked.  
"Ryo of Wildfire is also the wielder of the awesome Inferno armor which defeated Talpa twice. It is a force that could destroy the Dynasty, but not if Ryo is on the side of evil.."  
"A force that could destroy the Dynasty?" Haruka repeated. "These are some bad boys, aren't they?"  
Setsuna looked at the woman. "This 'Inferno'...tell me about it. What can we do to get it on the side of good?"  
Kayura met Setsuna's eyes. "You work for him...yet you do not follow him."  
Setsuna nodded. "We're kinda here against our will," Haruka added.  
"There are five armors. Strata. Halo. Hardrock. Torrent. And Wildfire. If all five are gathered for either side, the Inferno can be formed."  
  
"C'mon, c'mon," Kento muttered impatiently. "We wanna do this while we're still young."  
"Watch it, they might try a sneak attack," Cye said.  
"Oh, but that would take all the fun out of it."  
Both Ronins spun toward the sound of the voice. "Come out and face us, Ryo! We know you're up there!"  
Ryo stepped out of the open door of the building Kento had indicated. "Actually, I'm down here. But more than happy to oblige your death wish."  
Cye moved forward, but Kento grabbed his arm. "Hold on."  
"Why?"  
"Ryo's up to something. That's the expression he used to wear when he was about to pull a prank."  
"Some things never change," Cye whispered back, "but what do we do about it?"  
"Be ready to move. Very quickly."  
Ryo leaned against the doorjam. "Well? Are we going to get started or not? Since I suppose you won't surrender."  
"Got that right."  
"Well, then," Ryo shrugged, "if that's the way--"  
"MOVE!" Kento yelled, shoving Cye hard. The ground they had been standing on a second ago exploded, sending both flying.   
Kento rolled to a stop. "Owch. Cye, are you okay?"  
"Heads up, Kento, we have company!"  
Two figures jumped down from two surrounding buildings. Kento identified the two armors. "Cale and Sekhmet. When did you two start working for the bad guys again?"  
Ryo laughed. "Nice guess, Kento, but that's not Cale and Sekhmet. Both of them are dead and gone."  
Both armored warriors turned toward Cye and Kento. In unison, they removed their face masks.  
"Sage? Rowen??"  
Ryo laughed again. "That's right! Somebody tell him what he won. Oh, I will. It's a one-way trip to the afterlife." He smirked at his own joke. "Surprised, Kento?"  
"How...that's impossible! They're--"  
"Dead? Oh, yes, I'm aware they're dead, Kento." Ryo narrowed his eyes. "Now look well upon the existence that will be yours if you continue to defy the Dynasty. Surrender, while you still have a choice."  
"Forget about it!" Kento yelled. "Iron Rock Crusher!"  
"Supah Wave Smashuh!" Cye yelled, adding his surekill to Kento's. Ryo leapt, avoiding both attacks, and countered by throwing fire. Sage and Rowen also went on the offensive, using the surekills of their respective armors. Cye and Kento moved back, and the battle turned into a deadly game of dodge-and-fire.  
  
Kento dodged, rolled, and brought up his tetsubo to fire another Iron Rock Crusher at Sage. Sage responded by bringing up his no datchi and using a Black Lightning Strike. The two attacks hit head on, both combatants pushing more energy into their attacks, trying to outpower the other.   
Cye aimed his yari in an attempt to catch Sage in a crossfire, but Rowen blocked his attack with a Sanke Fang Strike. The four pressed their energies against their respective enemies, caught in a deadlock.  
Ryo upset the balance. ~Easier than knocking out innocent bystanders,~ he thought to himself with a smirk. He fired a Flare Up Now at both Ronins. Cye and Kento, unable to move, were caught in the center of the blast.  
"You're finished!" Ryo yelled over the roar of his flame. "Prepare to embrace the fate that awaits you--the fate of your friends!"  
"Do you suppose he's right?" Cye yelled to Kento.  
"I won't be taken down this easy!" Kento responded, sounding angry but wearing out. He pushed the last of his energy into his Iron Rock Crusher.  
Abruptly, Sage's Black Lightning Strike faded, then died completely. Kento's attack slammed Sage back into a nearby building. Kento turned to help Cye, but whatever had happened to Sage had also happened to Rowen. Cye had already thrown him back.  
"Supah Wave Smashuh!" Cye yelled raggedly, throwing a last round at Ryo. Ryo blocked with a blast of fire. A burst of steam exploded from the point where the two elemental attacks hit head on.  
"Who's finished now?" Kento snarled as he charged up for a finishing attack. Ryo shot him a look of pure hate.  
"Sorry, man," Kento said. "I hate to do it to you. Iron Rock Crusher!"  
Something moved at the corner of Kento's eye. He turned his head, and a sword missed his unprotected face by inches. A Twin Slasher sneered at him.   
"Aw, not you two. What do you want?" Kento said as he broke off his attack and bashed the twin. Cye broke off his own attack, letting Ryo's fiery blast roast the twin who was attacking him.  
"What are you doing here?" Ryo demanded angrily.  
The crispy twin moved to pick up Rowen. "The Master has ordered a strategic retreat," the other twin said as he grabbed Sage.  
Ryo glowered. "We'll meet again," he spat at Cye and Kento before all five teleported away.  
Cye sighed in relief as he dropped to his knees. The armor of Torrent left his body, as if he didn't have the energy to sustain it any more. Kento withdrew his own armor and ran over to Cye. "Cye! Are you okay?"  
"I'm exhausted," Cye moaned.  
"Come on. Let's get you home."  
"Kento?" Cye said softly as his friend half-dragged, half-carried him in the general direction of the old Koji house.  
"Mmm?" Kento mumbled, not really paying attention.  
"We got off pretty easy this time, didn't we?"  
"Huh?"  
"It's only going to get harder from here on out," Cye continued.  
"Yeah. I suppose you're right."  
  
"Worthless!" Ryo snorted.  
The Master of World's Darkness looked up from the still forms of Sage and Rowen, which he was filling with dark energy. "No, Ryo. Not worthless."  
"They can't think," Ryo replied angrily. "They're nothing but fancy Dynasty soldiers. Only they don't even have the strength to endure a lasting battle! I'd rather take the Twin Slashers with me."  
Outside, one of the Twin Slashers scowled furiously and spat. ~He assumes we'd want to go with him,~ he thought at the other.  
"A problem which will be remedied in time," the Master replied. "Have patience, Ryo. I would not have had you bring them back if I did not think they were of some worth."  
Ryo looked at him. "What do you mean, Master?"  
"It is no coincidence that they were your comrades in arms. I think they may have powers similar to yours. Of course, being, shall we say, incapicitated as they are, it may take a while longer. In the meantime, you will continue to take them into battle. Their endurance in battle with grow a little every time. It probably won't even be necessary to unlock their power."  
The master turned back to the two figures. "I give them six months to live. At most." 


	3. Timeline: +7.5 years

Timeline +7.5  
  
Kento stirred slightly in his sleep. The three former Ronins had been running him and Cye beyond ragged. Cye had taken to swimming in the lake fully armored just to keep his energy up and Kento was eating more than his normal mountain of food. Neither remedy was making up for the amount of overwork or the lack of sleep.  
~We can't go on like this,~ his rousing mind thought. ~We're wearing out.~ Kento was aware of his stomach growling for its usual midnight snack.   
The hair on the back of his neck suddenly rose. He leapt out of bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the glint of moonlight on metal, then a datchi buried itself in the bed where his chest had been a second ago.  
Kento immediately switched into his subarmor and grabbed the sword, looking for the enemy. Ryo was perched on the windowsill.  
"Don't you guys ever take a coffee break or something?!" Kento demanded as he charged Ryo before the former Ronin could get in the room. Kento slammed into Ryo, knocking him off the windowsill. Kento threw the datchi after him.  
"CYE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as he tore out of the room. "CYE, WAKE UP!! WE HAVE COMPANY!!"  
Kento heard a crash as he ran into the next room. Black lightning crackled around the room. Someone bumped into him, and he almost threw the person out the window before he realized it was Cye.  
"Kento, watch out!" he heard Cye yell before Sage attacked him, hitting him in the chest with black lightning and knocking him out into the hall.  
~I've got to power up,~ Kento thought. He saw Rowen approach him from the side and let loose a Snake Fang Strike which blew up most of the surrounding hallway and threw Kento out of the house to land on the lawn below.  
"Armor of Hardrock, Tao Gi! Cye, where are you?" Kento yelled worriedly as Sage and Rowen leapt down, brandishing their respective weapons.  
There was a burst of flame from one of the upper windows, followed by a hissing noise and a spray of water. Cye leapt from the burning window and joined Kento on the grass.  
"Do you have it?" Kento asked anxiously, keeping Sage and Rowen at bay with his tetsubo.  
"I have it," Cye confirmed. "But the house is a loss. Let's get out of here!"  
The two darted into the woods. Sage and Rowen immediately took off after them.  
"Come back here, you cowards!" Ryo yelled, leaping down from the upper window. "You can't get away from me! I'll hunt you down like the worms you are!"  
Cye grabbed a furious Kento and kept him running forward.   
Ryo smirked, narrowing his eyes. "So you want to play hunt-and-destroy? Or maybe it's hide-and-seek. I'm game."  
Sage and Rowen had followed Cye and Kento to the city, where they had promptly lost them. ~Will you come out...~ Ryo sighed mentally, walking down a main street.  
Inside an abandoned clothing store, one of the mannequins shifted, and a head peered around the model's side. "All clear," Cye whispered.  
A head popped out from behind a clothes rack. "I can't believe it. We ran away! We've never done anything this low."  
Cye stepped down from the window. "It can't be helped. They caught us completely off guard. And wipe off your cheeck, Kento, you've got blood on it."  
Kento blinked, then put a hand to his cheek. He looked at his fingertips in the almost nonexistent light of the unlit store and saw they were red.  
Cye rolled the "it" they had retrieved from the house around in his fingers reflectively. He contemplated the small green orb. "Well, I guess we'll have to spend the night somewhere else now. At least what's left of it."  
"Why are we doing this?"  
Cye looked up. "What?"  
Kento leaned against a wall in dejection. "Cye, this whole situation went from difficult to impossible. We can't win anymore." He turned away. "Why don't we just give it up? We never had a chance in the first place."  
Cye regarded Kento with an alarmed look. "We can't do that! We've got to save the world!"  
"Yeah, and a lot of help the world has offered us," Kento replied.  
Cye began to get worried. "Kento, what's wrong?"  
"What's wrong? What's wrong??" he exploded. "We finished the Dynasty! Talpa lost and we won. It should have been finished! Instead, we've watched everyone we ever knew or loved, die, and now we're being hunted by our former friends, who are going to be forced to kill us, and now they apparently aren't satisfied with attacking us every day for now they're attacking us during the night, too! I can't take this any more!"  
"Kento," Cye said, grabbing his arm. "Calm down."  
"I will not calm down!" Kento pulled away. "Tell me, what did our friends ever do to deserve this? All they ever did was save the world once. What did _we_ do to deserve this? Is it because we're alive? If this is the way the world works, let it save itself. Or let it roast. I don't care any more."  
"Kento, wait. Think about what you're saying!"  
"Do you know how long we've been fighting this guy?" Kento demanded. "Four and a half years, and that's just his flunkies. We haven't even gotten to him once yet. I'm not a machine. I can't fight day after day for years and years on end." He closed his eyes. His kanji briefly flickered on his forehead, like a candle that was going out. "There's no more justice in the world. I have no place here any more. I'm not fighting any longer!" He took off through the side door.  
"No, Kento, wait, please!" Cye ran after him, but when he got out the side door, Kento had already vanished.  
"Kento..." Cye moaned. "You're the only friend I have left. Please don't run away from me."  
  
Kento ran until he couldn't run any farther, and then he dropped to a walk. ~I used to be able to run _much_ farther. I'm really burnt out.~  
He walked down the street, head down, not caring where his feet took him as long as it was away from battle. ~I'm never fighting again. No more...~  
Sometimes fate has a funny way of rushing onto people.  
"Help! Let me go, please!"  
Kento's head snapped around. ~I'm not getting involved. I'm NOT.~ Despite this, his feet were drawn to the sound of the voice. ~I'll just see what's going on. That's all.~  
  
The girl let out a cry of pain as her back impacted with the brick wall of the alley. She half-stood, bracing herself against the wall with a hand.  
"Oho, we got ourselves a feisty one," one of the boys sneered. There were six boys in the gang, all armed with pistols and knives, and all of them intent on having a good time.  
"Back off, leave me alone!"  
"Sorry, little girl," the lead jerk sniggered, "but my boys just want to have a little fun. I'm not about to tell them no, now am I?"  
One of the boys grabbed at her. She twisted, and he grabbed her shirt, tearing it. The leader and another boy moved forward, securing her arms. She responded by stepping on the one boy's foot and catching the leader in the stomach with her elbow.  
"Ohh," the leader hissed, "you came a little close to something I hold dear." He leered at her. "I think you need to kiss it and make it better."  
She backed away, afraid. "I'm sorry. All I want is to be left alone."  
"Sorry, sweet cheeks, but that ain't an option."  
"You'd better make it one, then."  
The six boys turned at the sound of the voice. When the leader saw the man was alone, he smiled. "You know this girl?"  
"No."  
"Well, we saw her first. Finders keepers, losers weepers. You'll have to find your own playtoy."  
Kento took a step forward, his eyes holding a dangerious light in them. "She isn't going to be anyone's playtoy. Here's a new maxim for you: Finders beaten, winner keeper."  
The leader narrowed his eyes. "Are you challenging me?"  
Kento snorted. "You're not even a challenge. No, I'm going to beat you. Last chance. Leave now, or get ready for a bashing."  
The leader drew his pistol. The others followed suit. "You're in over your head."  
The leader never even saw Kento move. In a flash, the warrior leapt into the middle of the gang, disarming them with a few well-aimed swipes.  
The leader blinked as the gun suddenly disapperared from his hand. He withdrew his knife, yelling, "Get him!"  
Kento moved again. A few seconds later, five of the boys were unconscious, laying on the ground or thrown up against the walls. Kento held the leader up by his collar, the jerk's feet not touching the ground. Kento brought the leader down and matched his hard gray eyes to the leader's large and frightened ones.  
"You try playing with some defenceless girl again, and I'll kill you."  
~He won't stop. He'll do it again.~  
Kento threw the boy out of the alley. The kid didn't touch the ground until the middle of the road and then bounced until he smashed into a building on the other side of the road.  
Without a second glance back, Kento turned to the girl. "Are you all right, miss?"  
She stared at him with wide eyes. "It's...you! It's-it's really you!"  
"Hmm?" Kento said, half-lost in his thoughts.  
"Nothing," the girl replied. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Aeris Kallist." She dropped in a nervous bow. She was a small person, but mature looking, with large pretty violet eyes. She had long pink hair that hung in thick bands, which was held back by a blue headband.  
"Don't get used to it," he said dryly, walking out of the alley.  
"Hey, wait up!" Aeris called, running out of the alley. "Where are you going?"  
"Nowhere."  
"Oh." She fell silent, walking beside him for a little distance, then she spoke again. "Um, mind if I come with you?"  
He shrugged.  
Aeris felt a bit shy. "Well, um, thanks for saving me." She put a hand on his shoulder. "I really..." She trailed off midsentence, her hand still on Kento's shoulder.  
He stopped and looked at her, prompting her to finish her thought. Her eyes were closed and her face had relaxed. "Kento of Hardrock," she said, her soprano voice dropping in pitch, "without your strength and courage, the Dynasty will never fall."  
Kento stared, knocking Aeris's hand off his shoulder. She blinked and looked at him. "Oh, I must've gone off again. Did I say something stupid?"  
"How do you know my name?" Kento demanded harshly. "How do you _know_?"  
She seemed to realize what she had just done. "Oh, I did say something stupid! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad!"  
"Who are you?" An enemy. Only an enemy would know who he was. He didn't have any friends anymore.  
In response, she darted into the nearest alley. Kento easily caught her and shook her by the shoulders. "Tell me who you are!"  
A single tear trickled down Aeris's cheeck. "A weirdo," she said softly. "A freak of nature."  
Surprised, Kento let her go. She leaned against the wall and sat down. "I can't control them. They just...happen."  
Kento sat down beside her. "Can't control what?"  
She sighed, head down. "I have...visions...I have since I was a little child. I see the future sometimes. I had a vision today that I would get in trouble, and you would come to save me."  
"I'm sorry," Kento said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't know."  
She looked at him. "So, my vision was right, wasn't it? You're a fighter, in a war."  
He shook his head. "Not anymore. I quit."  
"Quit?"  
"Forget about it." He yawned. "Can we find a place to rest? I've been up all night."  
"Oh! How rude of me," Aeris said, grabbing his hand. "I know a place to stay. Follow me!"  
  
"Kento! Kento, where are you?"  
Cye leaned up against a wall, gasping for breath. ~Where is he? He couldn't have gotten this far. I should retrace my steps. When's he coming back?~  
~Maybe...he isn't coming back. No! I have GOT to trust Kento...~  
There was a click behind him. Cye turned to see a teen with a long blue ponytail and narrowed eyes of a similar shade pointing a gun at him. "All right, keep your hands where I can see them."  
"What's going on?" Cye asked, confused.  
"You're intruding on our territory," another voice said. A girl moved next to the boy, also leveling a gun at Cye.  
"Territory?"  
"They all say that the first time," a second boy said, stepping in front of Cye. "Like they don't know."  
"I _don't_ know what you're talking about, though!" Cye protested.  
"Oh, sure. A real innocent," the second boy snorted.  
"Look, I don't even know who you are," Cye said.  
"Keep quiet," the first boy said. "All we need to know from you is whether you're working for somone or you're on your own."  
"I'm not looking for trouble," Cye warned.  
"Don't even think it," the girl said. "You might kill one of us. You might even kill two of us. But I garuntee that the third one of us would get you right between the eyes before you had a chance at the last one." She cocked her head. "Do you really want to put my garuntee to the test?"  
"Not really," Cye replied. "What are you going to do with me?"  
The first boy shook his head, causing his ponytail to sway. "We don't decide. _If_ it turns out you're being truthful, you'll be let go with a warning. If not...well, you could put that garuntee to the test if you like."  
"I'll come quietly," Cye replied.  
  
"And you expect me to believe that?" the young man asked as he eyed Cye.  
"It's the truth," Cye replied calmly.  
"Right. You haven't been in _this_ section of town for five years. You just happened to wander into our territory without knowing about us."  
"That's right."  
The man turned away, then turned back and pointed a gun at Cye's chest. "Enough. Last chance. Start talking or it's over for you."  
Cye thought quickly. "Okay, I'll tell you what I know."  
The man lowered the gun slightly. "That's better. Start talking."  
"Armor of Torrent, Tao Shin."  
"Huh?" But Cye was already engulfed in a light blue light. The man backed off, still pointing his gun at Cye. Cye emerged in the armor of Torrent.  
"Listen, I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to. All I want is to leave quietly." Cye turned and walked toward the door.  
There was a sharp crack, then something hit Cye between the shoulder blades with the force of a sledgehammer. Cye turned, startled. The boy still held his gun up, but smoke was rising from the barrel. The kid gave Cye a glare full of hate.  
"You killer," he snarled, "Now you will pay for your crimes." He raised his voice. "People! There's one of them in here!"  
No less than a dozen teens burst into the room, all carrying guns. Everyone opened fire.  
~Oh, maaaaaaan...~ Cye thought as he pulled on his face guard. He charged the four teens at the main door, using his yari to pole vault over them and letting the bullets bounce harmlessly off his armor. If he could make it across the open stretch and into the buildings of the city, he should be okay. Ignoring the sudden spray of bullets that ricocheted off his armor, he broke into a flat out run.  
He never even heard the firing of the single bullet that stopped him. He was suddenly aware of moving down instead of forward, then he felt the impact of the ground rushing up to meet him.  
He assumed he'd tripped. He tried to get up, and it was then he noticed the pain in his knee. A small shot had squeezed through a joint in his armor and embedded itself in his knee. He couldn't move it at all.  
~If I can't get up and move, I'm done for,~ Cye thought as he tried to force himself to his feet. A few of the kids moved in, aiming their guns at his unprotected eyes.  
"Hold your fire."  
At the sound of these soft spoken words, all action ceased. All but one of the kids backed away from Cye. The remaining teen kept his gun level with Cye's face.  
"Anyone who shoots at that man will die by my gun. I don't expect to have to give orders twice."  
Reluctantly, the last kid backed off. The man who had been interrogating Cye spoke up. "He's not a man, he's a demon! I saw him shed his disguise with my own eyes!"  
"Let me determine that," the voice replied curtly. A man stepped into Cye's view. He was tall and looked to be about seventeen, with brown hair cropped short and dark blue eyes. The man knelt. "You are Cye Mouri, right?"  
Cye blinked. "Yes, I am. How did you know?"  
The man did not reply right away, instead turning to the crowd of teens. "This man," he said, stressing the last word, "is a friend. Tsune," he called softly.  
The blue haired boy emerged from the crowd. "Yes, sir?"  
The man put a hand under Cye. "Help me take Cye to the harbor."  
Though the boy named Tsune regarded Cye with a distrustful look, he obeyed the man's orders without question.  
"Who are you?" Cye asked.  
The man looked at him. "I don't know whether you'll remember me. I'm Yuli..."  
  
"Where are we going?" Kento asked as Aeris dragged him along.  
"To Grandmother's," she replied.  
"You have a grandmother?" Kento said, briefly reminded of his own dead grandparents.  
"Well, not really. She lost her grandchildren in an attack, and then pretty much any kid has been her adopted grandchild. She provides a place for anyone who doesn't have one, though."  
"I see," Kento said. Aeris ducked in a doorway which Kento did not notice until too late. "OWCH!"  
"Haha, watch that doorway," a voice came from inside. Kento went through the doorway carefully and let his eyes adjust to the dim light inside.  
Aeris was standing next to an old woman whose eyes portrayed her as being much older than she looked. "Eh, you finally got yourself a boyfriend! Bout time, I just love watching all you kids grow up right in front of me."  
Aeris flushed. "Oh, no, Grandmother, you've got it all wrong. This is Kento. He saved me from a gang of boys this afternoon."  
"Hello," he said politely, bowing.  
"I hope you gave those hormonal teens what they deserved," the old woman sniffed. "And didn't I tell you it was dangerous out there alone, missy?"  
"Oh, I knew I'd be safe," Aeris said.  
There was a twinkle in the old woman's eyes. "Ah, yes. Well, Kento, my gratitude to you. How long will you be staying with us, do you think?"  
"I really don't know," Kento replied honestly.  
"He can think about it later," Aeris said, "but right now, he needs a bed. He looks like he's going to fall over right now!"  
"I am not," Kento protested, blinking tiredly.  
"Ha!" Grandmother snorted. "As if I haven't seen that expression a thousand times. Aeris, take him, oh, two halls down, fourth room on the right."  
  
"Hold still," Yuli commanded as he examined Cye's knee. "I hope you can still heal yourself in water. That shot will have to come out first, though."  
"Oh, I can still do that," Cye said lightly, thinking of all the injuries he had healed in the last few years.  
Yuli looked at Cye, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. "You haven't changed a bit."  
"I've changed more than you know," Cye said seriously. "OW!"  
Tsune looked up. "It's in pretty deep, sir, and it's wedged in the joint."  
"No wonder I can't move it," Cye said.  
Yuli regarded the younger teen with a look. "You don't trust Cye, do you?"  
"How could I?" Tsune scowled at Cye. "He's a demon."  
Yuli knelt by Cye, a pair of tweezers clutched in his hand. "He's not a demon, Tsune. He's human, just like us. He eats and sleeps and feels pain just like us."  
Cye closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as Yuli probed his wound.  
"See? A _lot_ of pain," Yuli said dryly.  
"I'm glad someone finds this amusing," Cye gasped.  
Yuli pulled back, the small round shot in the tweezers. "It's out. Get in your armor and hop in."  
Cye found he could move his knee again. He called upon the armor of Torrent and stood. When he tried to actually put weight on his knee, however, the pain was so great he dropped back to the ground.  
Yuli was aware of Tsune's distrust of the Torrent armor. "Tsune, you can head back know. I'll take it from here," Yuli said, getting up.  
"Are you sure, sir?" Tsune looked doubtful.  
"Cye is an old friend of mine. He saved my life more than once. Go on, you."  
Tsune still looked doubtful, but he turned and walked off reluctantly. Yuli moved over to Cye and helped him up. "This is a switch from old times. You were always helping me."  
"Hey, it's not like I wanted the bullet to nail me."  
"Ironically, it was probably Tsune who got you. Dead accurate shot, and a good leader besides. He has a good heart, he just has trouble trusting people he doesn't know. Not that I can blame him. When I die, that's who I want to take over."  
Cye gave Yuli an alarmed look. "When you die? Don't be so pessimistic. This war won't last forever."  
Yuli returned Cye's look, only his own held the haunted light of being a survivor. "Cye..no one in this area of town as lived past twenty-five, and we're the lucky ones. It's not an if." Yuli knelt and helped Cye into the water. "Cye?"  
"Yes?" Cye eased into the water gratefully, already feeling his knee starting to mend.  
"This is probably a sensitive question, but...where are the others? Why are you alone?"  
Cye closed his eyes. "Well, most of them were killed by this new Dynasty. Mia, White Blaze, Sage, Rowen..."  
"They deserved better. We've lost a lot of people too. My parents and most of my friends went in the first Dynasty attack. You're the first person I've seen from my old life that isn't dead." He paused. "What about Kento and Ryo?"  
"Ryo--" Cye paused to regain control of his voice. "Ryo was captured by the Dynasty. He's under their control now."  
Yuli sucked in a breath. "The red demon..."  
"Huh?" Cye sat up, feeling the water run down his armor in small streams.  
"The red demon. We all hate it. It's a figure in red armor who attacks us from time to time. He's claimed several of us. I was hoping it was a coincidence."  
"Oh. No wonder everyone hates me!"  
"They'll learn eventually. Kento?" Yuli pressed.  
Cye look across the bay. "I wish I knew..."  
  
"Does Grandmother know about your ability?" Kento asked Aeris as she opened a door and walked in, Kento following her.  
"She's the only other one alive that does. Everyone else that ever knew is dead now," Aeris replied. Kento gratefully flopped onto the bed, hardly moving. "The only one who didn't think I was a freak."  
Kento rolled over on his side and looked at her. "I don't think you're a freak."  
She looked at him. "Really? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"  
Kento chuckled. "I've seen much stranger."  
She smiled and sat down on the bed. "When you say that, I don't doubt it. People always used to be surprised at how I knew their names or odd things about them. Most of the time all my talent did was get me in trouble, but there are times when I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's a funny talent. Sometimes, I can make a difference in the future by knowing what's supposed to happen, and sometimes things happen anyway, no matter what I do. Once, I dreamt I would lose my pencil, so I tied to it my finger...the string caught on something in the hall and snapped, and I lost it anyway. Another time, I saw I would break my hand in an accident afterschool, so I took a different way home and nothing happened." She sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "I never saw all this coming, though. Nothing I saw ever could have prepared me for all this. I feel kind of like it's my fault, that I should have seen something, but I've never been able to control what I see. They usually come at night, as dreams, but if it's really bad, sometimes it'll happen in daytime, while I'm awake, and I'll look like I'm having a fit. At least that's what I'm told. I never remember what happens unless someone prompts my memory. Most of the time, I see images of what's going to happen, but sometimes I hear sounds or see words...Sometimes it's just a feeling. But I never know what will happen. I need to be able to control my talent, to funnel it into something useful, to be able to control what I see and when I see it..." She clenched her hands into fists. "I have GOT to learn control!"  
Aeris heard a soft sound and turned. Kento had fallen asleep while she was talking.  
"Wow, he must have been tired," she said with a small smile as she got up and left.  
"Sweet dreams, Kento."  
  
"I figured I'd find you here."  
Distracted, Cye looked up from the twin whirlpools. Yuli watched him from the end of the bridge. "Oh. Hello."  
Yuli ran across the birdge and joined Cye in the middle. "This place brings back a lot of old memories."  
"Yeah," Cye said, looking down into the swirling water.  
Yuli looked at him. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.  
Cye thought about it before replying. "Well, I'm going to keep on fighting the Dynastly. That's the only thing I can do." He clenched his hands into fists. "But now...I'm alone. I don't know how I can win..."  
"We'll help," Yuli replied instantly.  
"Don't be ridiculous; I'm not endangering your lives!"  
"We're already fighting them, and we've beaten them some, too," Yuli replied. "We'd work better together."  
"I don't think so."  
Yuli gave him a scornful and angry look. "Stop thinking of me as the little kid who was always getting into trouble, Cye. I may not have a mystical armor, but I _can_ fight. I fought against the Dynasty to save my life after watching my parents die. I fought to bring everyone in this area together in a unified force. And now we all fight against the Dynasty. We're not helpless!"  
"It's nothing against you, Yuli," Cye replied placatingly, "but Ryo has gotten so strong, I don't know if I'm even a match for him."  
"Then let us help!" Yuli said. "We can catch him in a weak point--"  
"Yuli, I can't even stay long. If Ryo finds out I'm here, your life and the lives of all your people are worth nothing."  
Yuli turned away angrily. There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Cye spoke again. "You don't still have the Jewel of Life, do you?"  
Yuli shook his head. "If I did, I would be using it. No, I gave it back to Kayura after Talpa was defeated."  
"Who knows where it is, then," Cye said sadly. He looked over at Yuli, who still had his back to Cye. "Yuli, I don't want to lave with the only friend I have left mad at me. Let's be friends, okay?"  
Ther was a long pause. "Everybody's got to choose their own paths; I guess you've chosen yours." He faced Cye. "I can't stay mad."  
Cye smiled. "Thanks, Yuli."  
He shrugged and smiled in return. "Hey. no problem, man. The offer will still be open if you ever change your mind, though, so come to us if you ever need anything. We'll have our midday meal in about an hour. Will you be there?"  
Cye climbed onto the railing of the bridge. "I think I'll take a long swim first. But I'll be back for supper." He threw himself off the bridge with a cry of "Armor of Torrent, Tao Shin!" and hit the water fully armored.  
"Take care, my friend," Yuli said softly before turning and walking back in the direction of his headquarters.  
Underwater, Cye drifted lazily, letting the current pull him along. A flash of movement caught his eye and he turned. Seeing nothing, he went to get back in the main flow.  
Suddenly the water underneath Cye seemd to rise up under him. Cye was thrown out of the water and fell back with a colossal splash. Spluttering, he held out his yari in fromt of him, looking for the enemy. Nearby, a black lump surfaced and a large eye regarded him merrily.  
"Suiki?" Cye asked in amazement. "Suiki, is that you?"  
The killer whale whistled an affirmitive.  
Cye swam over and patted Suiki happily. "Suiki, am I glad to see you!"  
  
Kento awoke, somehow feeling as if the world had been passing him by.  
~How long was I asleep?~  
The sudden rumble of his stomach kept Kento from other questions. He wandered into the hallway sleepily.  
"Kento! Hi!"  
Aeris passed by him, holding a stack of boxes. "What's up?"  
"How long was I out of it?" he mummered, yawning and scratching his head.  
She shrugged. "Several hours, I guess. It's about noon now."  
Kento's stomach gave an embarrassingly loud rumble and Aeris giggled. "You're not hungry, are you?"  
He could only nod dumbly as his typical single-mindedness concerning food took over. Aeris freed a hand and grabbed him by the arm. "C'mon, Grandmother will have somthing."  
Once in the kitchen, Aeris set down her packages. "Grandmother!"  
The old woman emerged from the pantry, carrying a large bowl of something that made Kent's mouth water. "Ah, so the bottemless stomach's here."  
"Grandmother, that's not a nice thing to say!" Aeris reproached.  
"Ah, but true. I can tell just by looking at him. I bet he's got hollow legs on him, eh, Kento?"  
He put a hand behind his head awkwardly. "Well, I do eat a lot..."  
"Nothing to be embarrassed about, it's just the way you work. I had a grandson, Shu, that was just like you." Her eyes seemed to cloud over as she became lost in thought. "Are you sure you're not Shu?"  
"No, I'm Kento," he replied softly.  
"She goes off like this sometimes," Aeris whispered to him.  
This snapped the ancient lady out of her memories. "That doesn't make me senile, you young know-it-all. I'm old; I'm allowed to take a few trips down memory lane every now and then." She set the bowl down on the table and moved Kento to a seat in front of it. "Help yourself!"  
Kento needed no second bidding. Grandmother merely chuckled while Aeris stared with increasingly wide eyes.  
"Wow, you weren't kidding!"  
"I don't want to eat you out of house and home," Kento said hesitatingly, lowering his spoon.   
"Nonsense," Grandmother smiled, "my stew fills you up and makes the most of what we've got. As for what we've got, no need to worry. We've got a hydroponics farm underground. Those demons won't find it easily."  
"Not to mention the animals," Aeris added.  
"_Not_ to mention the animals, Aeris," Grandmother said with a sly grin and an arched eyebrow. "Smelly things. I'm glad I don't take care of them."  
Aeris was about to reply to the taunt when a sudden look of shock flashed across her face. She cried out as if in pain and fell.  
Kento reacted immediately, catching her. "Aeris!"  
Grandmother shook her head in worry. "Oh, my. This must be a bad one. She usually doesn't get them in daytime."  
Kento stared at the limp girl in his arms. "You mean--she's having a vision?"  
Grandmother nodded seriously. Aeris stirred slightly and began to moan. "Blue, water, bridge..."  
Kento could only hold onto her as she began to stir restlessly like she was having a nightmare. She gave another cry and her fingers dug into Kento's shirt, clutching it. "Oh, that poor guy, it looks like he's hurt bad...Who's there? What are you--Oh, no, somone stop them! No, please you're killing him! Someone stop--"  
Aeris's eyes snapped open and she lay there, panting. Kento wiped a thin layer of sweat off her forehead. "Are you all right?"  
She nodded numbly, sitting up. "I had a bad one, didn't I?" she asked softly.  
"It sure sounded like it," Grandmother told her. "It sounded like you were watching someone being killed."  
Aeris's eyes widened in surprise. "That's horrible! I hope I can change this one. I have to remember what I saw! What did I say first?"  
There was a long pause as Aeris watched the two others frantically.  
"Blue," Kento said abruptly.  
Aeris turned to him. "Blue?" she asked blankly.  
"Blue." Kento furrowed his brow. "Then water. Then...bridge."  
"I was on a bridge!" Aeris exclaimed.  
"Tell on," Grandmother said urgently.  
"I was on a bridge, looking down into the water. I could smell salt. The water looked really strange, because it was swirling like this." She made a circular motion in the air with her finger. "Then I saw something blue on the shore. I didn't know what it was, but then it moved and I realized it was a person dressed in a blue, samurai-type outfit."  
Kento digested this information. A man in blue samurai clothing... "Cye?" he blurted without thinking.  
Aeris had a faraway look in her eyes. "Yeah, that's what they called him."  
"They?" Kento echoed blankly, his mind whirling.  
"There were three of them. I don't know what they were; they spoke to him and--" A hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, no, they killed him!"  
Kento went pale. ~CYE!!~ He sprang up immediately. "I can't stay. I have to go. I have to help him!"  
Aeris leapt up also. "Kento, do you know where he is? It's a place with a bridge by the sea, with two whirlpools."  
The facts clicked into place. "Churning within a sea of salt, of course I know that place!"  
"Good," Aeris said. "I'm coming with you. It's not too late. I saw a sun low in the sky and it's only noon now."  
Kento paused for a moment before agreeing. He ran out, Aeris following.  
"Take care," Grandmother called after them.  
  
Cye, who was now out of his armor, lay stretched out on Suiki's back. The whale swam slowly, letting his human friend relax.  
"Mmmmm," Cye mummered. "This is nice." Just sunning with his old friend by the place where his armor was formed was doing wonders for his body and spirit.  
Underneath him, Suiki gave a happy whistle. Cye flipped over onto his stomach and patted the whale. "Yeah, it's great too see you again, too."  
Both man and whale were unaware of a sinister pair of eyes on them, watching from the shore.  
~I found Torrent.~  
The second twin appeared out of thin air behind him. ~It must be a trick. Surely he would not dare to show himself this openly.~  
~I think his guard has been let down. He is not even armed.~  
~Where is the other?~  
~I have not seen him. I do not think he is here.~  
The second twin snorted and regarded the first twin with an incredulous look. ~Ridiculous. Surely not. They have never separated.~  
~It's as believable as Torrent being out in the open. Either way, if it is a trap, let us strike without being caught.~  
The first twin guessed what the second was thinking. He pulled out his sword. ~I am a better shot. I will do it.~  
~Agreed.~  
The first began to chant in a low voice, his words gradually picking up tempo. The second added his voice and power. In the hands of the first, the sword began to glow unnaturally and elongate so it resembled a spear more than a sword.  
~Fare thee well in the afterlife, Torrent.~  
The twin threw the sword.  
  
Suiki caught the unnatural glow an instant before it would have hit the unaware Cye. He reared, throwing a startled Cye off him. The sword buried itself in whale flesh and Suiki squealed in pain.  
"Wha--Suiki!" Cye gasped, climbing back onto Suiki so he could pull it out.  
The whale sensed the dark intentions of the thing in his flesh, and threw Cye off again. The sword flashed light, flickering like a strobe.   
Then the sword exploded.  
"SUIKI!!" Cye yelled, shielding his eyes. Multiple explosions went off in and above the water, knocking Cye out cold and hurling him into the depths.  
  
Something whirled through the air. The twin stepped out and caught his sword, which had returned to its normal size.  
~It is done, then.~  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
Both twins whirled. "What business is it of yours?" one demanded.  
"I make it my business," Ryo replied coldly. "I am the Master's champion, and as such, I am responsible for," his lip twisted into a sneer, "my subordinates."  
The first twin leapt forward, his sword at the ready. "Subordinates?!"  
The second restrained him. "In response to your _polite_ query, we have done what you failed to do," he replied coolly.  
Ryo smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"  
"Torrent has been destroyed."  
"Has he, now."  
The second twin was a bit unnerved by Ryo's casual tone. "His body now lies on the harbor floor," he said forcefully.  
Ryo merely smiled. "And how, do tell, did you manage to finish him? Apparently I could use your advice."  
"We used something the Master didn't bother to teach you," the first said with a superior smirk. "The nova spell."  
The casual smirk vanished from Ryo's face. He grabbed the twin in fury. "You idiot! The nova is a highly unstable spell! Of all the people in the world, you had to use it on Cye!"  
"What's the matter with you?" the first twin demanded, knocking Ryo's hands off him.  
"You fools." The contempt in Ryo's voice was only matched by his fury. "How do you think the Master unlocked _my_ powers?"  
The twins blinked and stared in unison. "The master used the nova on you?" the second asked in a hushed voice.   
"It was a last resort. I barely survived. What's more, the heart of darkness was all but shattered. But it worked. The nova is highly unstable; exposure to it could make inherent talent in the system run haywire." Ryo clenched his fists and regarded the two with a hateful look. "Cye will have no spells holding him back. You've probably only made him stronger than he already is. And to strike when he is in his element at the location where his power is the strongest...Only fools like yourself would have done something so rash and foolish!"  
"If you're so certain he survived," the first twin snarled. "why hasn't he shown himself?"  
Ryo dashed past the two in fury and ran out into the shallows. He turned this way and that, furiously looking for his enemy.  
"CYE!!" he yelled, his voice surging with manic energy, "COME OUT AND FACE ME, CYE!!"  
The twins watched silently. ~He _is_ dead.~  
~We have only to wait for Ryo to realize that.~  
  
"CYE!! COME OUT AND FACE ME, CYE!!"  
Yuli heard the voice. The voice with anger and hate, but it was the same voice that had talked to him gently and friendily over seven years ago.  
"Ryo..." Yuli whispered to himself, feeling the surge of emotions that the old memories awakened.  
He slowly turned. Then he began to walk slowly toward the sound of that hate-filled voice. By the time he had taken five steps, he was going at a full run.  
  
Kento stopped for the third time as Aeris paused, panting for breath. She placed her hands on her knees, gasping.  
Kento placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"  
"Can't--keep up," she gasped. "You should go ahead. I'm slowing you down."  
He hesitated. "I don't want to leave you by yourself."  
"There's just something I need to tell you," Aeris said, ignoring his protest. "When I was very young, I had a vision, one of the first ones I ever had. It wasn't much, just a little phrase..." Aeris rattled off a string of syllables that sounded like no language Kento had ever heard. "Did you get that?"  
"Uhh..."  
Aeris repeated the words more slowly. "Now?"  
Kento nodded and opened his mouth to repeat them, but Aeris put a hand over his mouth. "They're words of power, and they are for you, I'm certain. I feel they only will work once, too, so don't say them until you need them. Now go!"  
Kento paused, nodded, and broke into a run, constantly aware of the sun gradually getting lower.  
  
Falling.  
He was sinking.  
It was the first thing Cye was aware of as he fought his way back to consciousness. All around him, explosions continued to go off as if they were sparked by his presence. Despite the fact he was underwater, the energies seemed to burn like they were trying to scorch his soul.  
Cye cried out in pain, bubbles escaping from his mouth, and water rushed in. He tried to spit it out but it resisted and pushed into his mouth and lungs.   
Why was he having so much trouble underwater? It took a few seconds for his oxygen-deprived brain to realize he was not in his armor. He tried to call upon it, but all that came out was another bubble. His mouth was filled and soon his lungs would be too. His arms and legs felt like lead. He was falling rapidly. The surface seemed like it was miles away.  
Air!  
He needed air!  
The last of the explosions went off right in front of him. It felt like the beams of energy were stabbing right through him, oblivious to the fact his body was there. He would have screamed but now his lungs were filled.  
He couldn't fight anymore.  
He was gone.  
As his light blue eyes closed, an image came to his mind, a picture of his mother.  
~Am I dying? Is this my life flashing before my eyes?~  
More images/memories came to his mind, faces and voices of those who had already died. His mind spoke their names.  
~My sister. Mia. White Blaze. Sage. Rowen. I will be joining you soon...~  
Another image, one of Ryo sprawled on the couch watching the news, on the last day he had been free. He turned and smiled at Cye's joke...  
~Ryo is lost. Like me.~  
One last image invaded a mind that yearned to stop and rest.  
Kento.  
~Kento?~  
"Hold on, Cye..."  
"Are you okay, Cye?"  
"I won't be taken down this easy!"  
"Let's get you home."  
~Kento...he risked everything and more for me. If I die, here, now, I'll be letting him down.~  
~Maybe I can't help anyone else, but I can't stop here when Kento still may need my help!~  
Cye's eyes snapped open.  
He knew what he had to do.  
  
"Where are you, Cye?! Come out, you coward!"  
"He's not coming out, Ryo," the second twin said from behind him. "He's dead."  
Ryo was about to reply when a sudden massive waterspout shot out of the bay. It was followed by four more flanking it.  
"Now are you fools satisfied?!" Ryo yelled over the sudden noise of the roaring water.  
Cye was hurled out of the water onto the opposite shore. The water had removed itself from his lungs and he lay on his back, staring at the sky unthinkingly and taking in great gasps of air.  
"Return to the Master at once," Ryo ordered the Twin Slashers. "Send Sage and Rowen to me."  
"We don't take orders from--" one twin spat.  
"Perhaps then you would like to explain to the Master how your unauthorized and outright foolish use of magic you can't control had worsened this situation?" Ryo snarled.  
Neither twin replied.  
"Send Sage and Rowen to me," Ryo repeated coldly. "You didn't even hit him, he's barely scratched. But he's weak. We can finish him before he grows fully aware of his talent."  
Seething, the twins vanished. Ryo turned and ran toward the bridge.  
  
The waterspouts had died down. Cye sat up. His head was still ringing, but he wasn't gasping anymore. Except for feeling sore all over, he seemed to be fine.  
"I hope you enjoyed your little nap, Cye, because it's all over for you now."  
"When it rains, it pours," Cye said philisophically as he pushed himself to his feet and faced Ryo. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."  
Ryo replied by throwing a fireball at Cye, hoping to catch the Ronin before he could armor up.  
Cye reached into his oddly dry clothing for his armor orb. Before he could say his power up line, however, a waterspout sprang from the bay, completely engulfing the fireball and extinguishing it. Cye blinked in astonishment.  
~Did I do that?~  
Ryo leapt upon him again and Cye called on his armor and dismissed the odd happening. Ryo's shoulder impacted on Cye's armor, knocking him backwards into the water.   
Cye caught himself midair, landing on his feet and sending up a spray of water. It was the splash that alerted Cye to the fact that he was standing _on_ the water.  
~I _did_ do that!~  
Ryo hurled a bolt of flame at him. Without thinking, Cye raised a wall of water which let the fire smack into it harmlessly.  
~Okay, let's see what I can do, then.~  
Cye pulled the wall of water into a column, then launched it like a spear at Ryo.  
"No!" Ryo snarled, throwing up a wall of fire to block it and bracing himself. The column drove through the wall, barely slowing as it slammed into Ryo and propelled him into a building.  
"I don't want to hurt you, Ryo," Cye called out to him, "but I will if I have to. Just let me leave peacefully and I won't harm you."  
"As if you really have a chance," Ryo spat as he came out of the building. "So you think I'm taken down this easy? You're tiring out, Cye, but I'm just getting started!"  
It was true. Cye had narrowly escaped from drowning and right now he really wanted to rest rather than fight. Ryo, however, apparently didn't feel the same way.   
Ryo charged again, halting just short of the shore and throwing another, larger firebolt at Cye. Cye let himself drop, sliding into the water and letting the flame pass over him harmlessly.  
~If I could get him out of the water,~ Ryo thought, ~I could finish him easily. But as long as he's in the water, he can shoot off all the water he desires and not tire, and I won't be able to touch him.~  
There was a sudden sparkle of black in the water, than black lightning danced across the top of the water, striking Cye. He let out a yell and dropped to one knee.  
Sage stood on the opposite shore. Keeping an eye on Ryo, Cye turned to face this new threat, aiming a waterspout at him. Sage threw another Black Lightning Strike in response before the force of the water slammed him back. The lightning darted right through the water, smacking Cye hard in the chest and flinging him to shore.   
Ryo leapt upon the opportunity and moved between Cye and the water's edge. "You should have run when you had the chance," he said, his eyes gleaming with a malicious light. "Rowen. Poison the water."  
"No!" Cye yelled, struggling to his feet.  
"Oh, yes." Ryo smirked. "Once your precious pure water is filled with venom, you will be weakened. It is over for you!"  
"Supah Wave Smashuh!" Cye yelled, throwing another burst of water at Ryo. Simultaneously, he pulled a column of water from the bay, hoping to cathc Ryo in a crossfire.  
Ryo laughed insolently and dodged. Cye fused the two jets into a single attack which pursued Ryo and slammed him into the ground hard.  
Cye winced in pain. He could feel the poison spreading through the bay, killing things.  
"Rowen, stop!" he yelled, tossing another spout of water at him. Rowen moved, letting the water splash against the ground. A fireball caught Cye on one side as a bolt of lightning caught him on the other. He cried out, barely managing to stay on his feet. Ryo and Sage struck again, pounding him with their respective elements.  
~The water...I have to get to the water!~  
~NO! It's poisoned!~  
Cye dodged Ryo's and Sage's next attacks by dropping to the ground. He stretched out a hand to the water in the bay, which rushed out to meet him.  
The poisoned water flowed over his armor. Cye screamed in pain, forcing himself to his feet. He tried to back away, but the poisoned water now seemed to have a mind of its own, wrapping around Cye like a dying person begging for healing. He screamed again, making his leaden feet move away.  
Finally he managed to back far enough away, and the water released him, retreating back into the bay. Cye moaned, dropping to the ground.  
Ryo walked over to the prone figure slowly and gave him a none-too-gentle kick in the side. "Get up," he ordered.  
When Cye did not respond, Ryo struck at him again, sending the limp form flying a few feet. "Get up!" he barked.  
Cye's eyelids fluttered weakly and he groaned, stirring slightly.  
"I expected more of you, Cye," Ryo said, approaching him. "But if the game is over so soon, then so be it."  
As if in a dream, Cye faintly heard Ryo's voice, the sliding sound of his twin datchi as they were drawn out of their sheaths, and then a loud crack and Ryo's yell of pain and shock.  
Ryo clamped a hand to his neck. He felt something small and metal embedded in the side of his neck, felt the blood running down his neck.  
~I'm losing strength!~ Ryo thought. He looked around for the cause of his sudden injury.  
Yuli stood on the rooftop, his smoking pistol still aimed at Ryo. Without taking his eyes off Ryo, he began to reload.  
"Kill him," Ryo gasped hoarsely before teleporting away.  
Through a half-conscious haze, Cye heard the sound of the gun go off again, then there was a strangled yell and a sickening, bone-jarring crunch which was in sync with a terrible cry, or maybe two. It was hard to tell anything anymore. Footstpes apporached and Cye knew Sage and Rowen were coming to finish him. He tried to move but his body would not respond to his commands anymore.  
~Kento, I'm sorry, I did the best I could.~  
  
Tsune was worried. Yuli never went too far from headquarters in case something happened. He'd last seen his sensei around the bridge, but he wasn't there now.  
The sound of a gun firing nearby alerted Tsune. He ran toward the noise.  
The gun went off again, and Tsune spied Yuli on top of a building, grappling with a demon. Trune gasped in surprise and grabbed his own gun, cocking it.  
The demon suddenly swung at Yuli, who choked back a yell of surprise. The demon's fist impacted squarely with Yuli's chest, sending him clear off the building.  
Tsune let out a horrified cry and ran toward the falling Yuli. The older boy hit the ground with a crunch that made Tsune's stomach wrench. Yuli screamed.  
"Yuli-sensei!" Tsune reached him and looked him over. His back was definitely broken, maybe more. "Hold on, I'll bind you up. Don't move." He began to look for a board big enough to strap Yuli onto.  
Yuli seemed to have his eyes fixed on something beyond the building. "Cye needs help..." he gasped, gritting the words out. "I gotta--I gotta--"  
Yuli's tensed muscles relazed and he breathed out in a faint sigh.  
"No!" Tsune choked, beginning to sob brokenly. Through his tear-filled eyes, he fumbled around inside Yuli's blood stained shirt, something he could have never done if Yuli wasn't...He found what he was looking for: a small white envelope, still sealed. He held it in trembling hands, careful not to wet it. Inside, he knew, was the name of the person Yuli had wished to follow him as leader.  
  
As a final gift to his mentor, Tsune stood watching the funeral pyre he had built around Yuli burn. It had been Yuli who had ordered all dead to be cremated so there would be nothing for their enemies to desecrate.  
Tears were good. It meant that your heart wasn't frozen over, like the enemy. It meant you were human. Yuli had taught him that.  
Something Yuli had said to him only several hours ago came back to him. "He's human, just like us. He eats and sleeps and feels pain just like us."  
~Cye.~ Tsune looked up at the early evening sky, which was cloudy but clear enough to show the sun. ~You fight these demons who waste precious life so carelessly. Defeat them for Yuli-sensei, and for everyone who has died at their hands. And if you ever need me, I won't deny you anything.~  
With a heavy heart, Tsune took one last look at the dying flames before turning his back on them permanently. He began the long walk back to the base camp.  
  
Using his remaining stength, Ryo managed to teleport himself back to the Master's castle in the Nether Realm. His head was spinning and his vision was going fuzzy. Blood streamed down the side of his armor.  
Ryo didn't bother explaining anything to the Master. He merely fell to the floor, trying to hold onto his life.  
"Fetch Setsuna," the Master calmly ordered the Twin Slashers.  
"At once, Master," they said in unison, teleporting.  
The reemerged outside Setsuna's door. They heard noise inside and knew she was there.  
~If we took our time, Ryo would die,~ one thought to the other.  
~If we took our time, the Master would kill us.~  
~True.~  
  
When Setsuna arrived in the room where Ryo lay, he had already stopped breathing and his pulse was almost gone. Mechanically, she put a hand on him and pushed life energy into his body, forcing him away from death. She could sense all the dark energy inside him, holding his spirit in check. If only she could remove enough of it and make it look accidental...She gave the energy an experimental porbe, and it flared resiliently. The heart of darkness was as tough as Makota said it was. Nothing short of a good purifying spell would make a dent in it. Setsuna mentally sighed in disappointment.  
Ryo's eyes snapped open. His blue eyes focused on her with amazing sharpness and clarity as she removed one hand from his chest and gently touched his wound. She noticed that his eyes, which normally looked ice-blue, were actually much darker up close.  
Ryo hissed in pain but did not move as Setsuna gently probed his would, feeling for the bullet. She grasped it and pulled it out, then pushed her hand onto his neck, pushing her healing energies into him. She felt the tears in his flesh gradually mend and close under her fingertips. Ryo's eyes never left Setsuna as she finally took her hands away and stood up.  
"He will be fine," Setsuna told the Master quietly. "He only needs to rest and regain his strength." Setsuna felt very weary herself. "If I have your permission to leave?"  
"You may leave," the Master said softly.  
  
Haruka looked up as Setsuna came into her room. "Hi, you look good. Not."  
"Haruka," Setsuna said, an odd expression on her face, "what do you need to do a divining?"  
Haruka blinked at the unexpected question and considered. "Well, I have all my supplies, I'd just need a focus. Something physical, a piece of property, or a part of them."  
"Blood?"  
"Yeah, blood's good..." Haruka gave her friend a quizzical look. "Why?"  
Setsuna wordlessly held up the bullet, which still had some of Ryo's blood smeared on it.  
"Oh, you genius, you..." Haruka breathed.  
  
Setsuna was right. Ryo felt no pain in his neck, but he was exhausted.  
"She is a very talented healer, is she not?"  
"Quite powerful," he agreed, one hand straying to his neck.  
The Master turned away with a slight sinister laugh. "I think she will be very useful to us, Ryo."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Listn carefully, Ryo. This is what I want you to do."  
  
Can't stop. Can't stop running. The sun's getting lower.  
Kento switched into full armor as he ran. The bridge was close. He leapt onto a building, getting his bearings.  
Panting, Kento scanned the shoreline. There was the bridge...there were the whirlpools...and there was Cye!  
Cye was lying facedown on the beach. He looked like he was in terrible shape. Kento's breath caught in his throat, then he stiffened as he saw the unmistakable forms of Sage and Rowen approaching the fallen Ronin. Ryo was nowhere to be seen. He was probably lying in wait for Kento...  
He suddenly didn't care. He jumped off the building and ran at top speed toward Cye, his breath ragged in his throat, his pulse pacing in his ears. "CYE!!"  
Sage and Rowen looked up. Rowen moved forward in an attempt to stop Kento while Sage kept moving toward Cye, picking up speed. Kento was in no mood to be stopped. He brought out his tetsubo and swatted Rowen aside like an insect.  
Sage was now running toward Cye, his sword drawn for the killing blow. He was much closer than Kento. Kento would never make it in time.  
Aeris's words. If now wasn't the time to use them there would never be a time. Kento reviewed them in his mind once before saying him.  
It felt like his scalp was exploding and his skin was on fire. If he had been able to see his reflection he would have seen that his eyes were suddenly orange. Kento staggered but continued to run toward Sage. A bright orange beam shot from his body and hit Sage dead on. He was knocked back, away from Cye, and he fell unmoving to the ground.  
"Cye?"  
Kento knelt by his friend, gently supporting Cye's head and neck with his arm. Cye stirred slightly, then with a soft moan he opened his eyes. They widened in surprise. "Kento?" he gasped. He gripped Kento's arm, unsure whether he was real or not.  
"Yeah, Cye, it's me," Kento said softly. "I'm sorry, Cye, I shouldn't have left you like that...should have been here to help..."  
"It's okay, Kento, really," Cye started, then paused as a noise caught their attention. Nearby, Sage stirred slightly.  
Kento put Cye down and gripped his tetsubo tightly. "Don't worry, Cye, I'll take care of this."  
Sage's eyes flickered open and focused, wavering, on Kento. Kento's mouth was set in a grim line and he held his tetsubo ready for anything Sage might try to do.  
"K--Kento?" Sage asked uncertainly.  
It was the last thing Kento expected. The last time Sage had spoken was before he had died. His voice still sounded the same. Kento also noticed that Sage's eyes were not the cold, emotionless pits they had been for almost half a year; now they held an expression of confusion.  
"What happened? Where are we?"  
"Sage?" Kento found his voice. "Is that really you?"  
"Who else would it be? What's going on?" Sage tried to push himself to his feet.  
Kento put out a hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Careful there. You're hurt."  
"Kento, watch out!"  
Kento heard Cye's voice an instant before Rowen slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.  
"Rowen? What--" Sage said. Rowen grabbed him and teleported both of them away.  
"No!"  
Kento grabbed for them and clutched nothing but air.  
"They're gone, Kento," Cye said softly.  
"I know." Kento's shoulders were slumped as he came back over to Cye. "But Sage--he was there, just a minute ago. He recognized me. For a minute, we had the old Sage back. This _can_ be done. We can win this."  
"Yeah," Cye agreed. He switched out of his armor. "You know what, though?"  
"What?" Kento asked, doing likewise.  
Cye pulled something out of his pocket, the "it" they had taken with them from the Koji household. The armor orb of Halo. "We're going to need help."  
"Kento!!"  
Kento turned. Aeris was running toward them and waving happily. Kento smiled and waved back. "Aeris!"  
Aeris stopped in front of them. "Wow, you did it, Kento!" I didn't even know that was you! You were incredible," she gushed, admiration in her voice.  
Cye laughed at Kento's sudden blush. "What's the matter, Kento, can't take a little praise?"  
"Shut up," Kento mock growled, giving Cye a light punch in the arm.  
"You must be Cye," Aeris said, extending a hand.  
Cye accepted it and shook it. "Why, yes, I am. How did you know?"  
"Kento's told me all about you."  
The aforementioned yawned and stretched his free arm. "I vote we call it a day. Let's go crash somewhere. Besides--"  
"You're starved," Cye and Aeris said in unison.  
"Whaaat?"  
"Grandmother was right. You really are a bottomless stomach."  
"I am not! ...I just eat a lot."  
"Whatever, Kento."  
  
Sage screamed in pain as another black thread of dark energy impacted on his body.  
"No..." he gasped. "I won't give in!"  
"Funny you should say that," the Master smirked with malicious glee, forcing more dark energy into Sage. "Ryo said the same thing."  
"Ryo? Where is he? What have you done to him?" Sage growled, trying to struggle against his dark bonds.  
"I'm right here, Sage."   
Ryo stepped forward. "I hope you weren't expecting me to aid you or anything."  
"You see?" the Master laughed as Sage's eyes widened in surprise. "It is useless. The spell I put on him in unbreakable. It is the same I now put on you. There is no escape!"  
"Ryo!" Sage met the cold eyes of Ryo. "You've got to break free! Think of the others, your friends, your family! Fight it for us! Fight it for Mia and White Blaze! They died because of him, do you remember? I know you can do this, Ryo. You've got to try! There's still a world to save out there! Do you remember?"  
"Your pleas are useless," Ryo responded. He put his hand and the sphere enveloping Sage, pushing more black energy into him.  
"Ryo, please!" Sage yelled before his words dissolved into cries of pain.  
The cold hand of despair gripped his heart. Ryo is lost...soon I will be too. I'll never get away.  
Never...  
Never...  
  
Outside, Rowen stood peacefully, oblivious to the screams inside, waiting his turn.  
  
Setsuna was having trouble sleeping again. She sat at the small table in her room, pondering.   
Kayura had been tortured by Ryo up to the point of death mutlitple times. Each time, Setsuna and Haruka had been called into heal her. Kayura had told them more about the mystical armors each time, and more about her past, though it must be painful.  
She had said there were nine armors in all, five of which she referred to as the Ronin armors which were needed to make the Inferno armor. Of the Ronin armors, Ryo had one, the armor of Wildfire. Two people on Earth how fought against the Dynasty held the armors of Torrent and Hardrock. The armor of Halo was believed to be with the two rebels on Earth. The location of the armor of Strata was unknown.  
Which left the other four. Sage and Rowen held two, and the other two were lost; Setsuna suspected Kayura knew the location and that was the information she was keeping from Ryo.  
Setsuna stood and began to pace. One armor, a Ronin armor, was still lost. If it could be located, it would be a great asset against the Master. But there was no way to find it short of a thorough search, and the Master would certainly notice _that_.  
Haruka would be able to locate it if she had something from the armor or its former bearer, but both of those were impossible to locate. Setsuna didn't even know who the original bearer was. At this moment, Haruka was mostly likely preparing herself and the blood smeared bullet for a divining.  
Setsuna heard a slight sound at her door. She turned. "Come in."  
The door opened. On the other side was the last person Setsuna expected to see.  
"Ryo??"  
His face betrayed no emotion. "Setsuna. I have been ordered by the Master to impregnate you."  
She backed away from him, astonished. "What?"  
"You are a healer of great talent," he continued, "and I am a powerful warrior. The Master believes that we can produce a child of immense strength."  
Setsuna could only stare as Ryo shut the door behind himself. 


	4. Timelime: +8.5 years

Timeline: +8.5  
  
"Duck!"  
Kento heard Cye's warning just in time to dodge the fireball Ryo hurled at him. He moved behind the building. "Where's Sage and Rowen?"  
"South," Cye said breathlessly. "We're in the clear. Is Aeris certain--"  
"I'm certain," a voice snapped from the window by Cye's head. Cye barely restrained himself from putting his yari through the window. "Ryo is connected somehow to Sage and Rowen," Aeris patiently explained, as she had done numerous times before. "If we can stop Ryo, Sage and Rowen will be stopped. I saw you two stopping them."  
"Only you have no clue when or how," Cye said.  
She shrugged. "That's the way it works."  
"Aeris," Kento intervened, "don't surprise us like that, especially in a battle. We could hurt you before we even realized it."  
She gave him a look. "I thought you might remember _you_ left me here."  
The three of them had moved around constantly for a year, never staying in one place for more than a few nights. They had occasionally stayed with the old woman Aeris fondly called "Grandmother," but Kento had been unwilling to risk the discovery of the underground refuge so they rarely stayed long.  
Kento put a hand behind his head. "Oh, right. I forgot."  
"I figured as much."  
"Can we talk about this later?" Cye asked. Nearby, a car exploded. "We still have a problem to deal with."  
"Right. I'll draw his fire, you nail him." Kento ran out form behind the building. "Hey, Ryo, ya big idiot, having trouble finding me?"  
A sudden explosion of flame up the street answered his challenge. Cye slipped around the side of the building, leaving Aeris behind, trying to get a better angle on Ryo. Four hands suddenly accosted him.  
"Thought you got away, did you, Cye?" a voice hissed in his ear.  
"Let me go, Sage, Rowen." Cye struggled against them.  
"And you're aware the probability of us doing that is zero," Rowen sneered.  
Cye ignored him. "Sage. You did get away from them, even if just for a minute. You can do it again. Come back."  
"Kento may have reawakened my mind," Sage said, "but now I am as fully in the dark power as Ryo. There is no hope."  
Cye felt sorrow at the hollow tone of his voice. One hand removed itself from him. Before he could try to break free, a horrible pain erupted in his back and he screamed.  
Sage kidney punched him again, and Cye's knees buckled. He dropped, being supported only by the hands clutching him. Sage hit him again.  
  
Aeris heard the scream. ~Cye!~ She dashed out into the street where Kento and Ryo were fighting.  
"Kento!" she yelled over the noises of destruction. "Cye's in trouble!"  
Ryo spotted her first. "I think it is time you stopped interfering, girl!" he hissed, throwing a fireball at her.  
Aeris gasped in shock as the fireball honed in on her. Something grabbed her by the waist and her feet left the ground and she was flying, up, up, up, and then her feet gently impacted on the ground and she realized Kento was holding onto her. "Aeris, what were you doing? You could have been really hurt! Are you okay?"  
"Cye's in trouble!" she repeated.  
"What? How? Where?" Kento demanded.  
She pointed. "I don't know what happened. I just heard him yelling."  
"Right."   
Fire splashed across the ground in front of them. "Sorry, Kento, but your timeout expired!"  
"You're getting annoying, Ryo," Kento said. His eyes flashed orange. The ground underneath Ryo suddenly rose up, completely encasing him in rock and concrete.  
Kento surveyed his handiwork with a satisfied nod. "That should hold him long enough. Let's go!"  
Since his first display of inner power a year ago, Kento had discovered an ability to manipulate rock and earth, just as Cye had discovered his own ability to manipulate water. Though he had sharpened his talent, Kento did not use it much, often holding it as an ace card up his sleeve.  
  
Sage hit Cye again. Rowen released him and he dropped, one hand clamped over his side. He groaned in pain and leaned against a wall, forcing himself onto his feet.  
"You're pathetic, Cye," Sage's harsh voice echoed through the alley. "Rowen. Let's finish him this time."  
Rowen did not respond. Sage turned to see a blue haired boy holding a metal pipe and standing over the fallen Rowen. "Blast. His head put a dent in it! One of my better ones, too."  
"You insolent pup," Sage said, advancing on the boy. "You shouldn't poke your nose into things that aren't your business."  
"So, the demon has a tongue. I make it my business." The boy smirked, holding the pipe in one hand and drawing a gun with the other. "Go ahead and kill me, then. That is, if you think you're up to it."  
Before Sage could reply to the taunt, something slammed into his head and he, too, dropped.  
The blue haired boy smiled at the new arrival who was eyeing his own pipe in astonishment.  
"Cor! His head put a freakin' dent in it!"  
"Thanks, Jino."  
"Hey, no problem, man." The new boy put his pipe/club back in his holder on his back.  
At this point Kento and Aeris arrived on the scene. Jino pulled back out his club with a resigned sigh and moved forward aggresively. "Hold it right there, buddy, unless you're aiming for some pain."  
Kento moved in front of Aeris and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Get away from Cye."  
"You aren't getting anywhere near him," the blue haired boy snarled, leveling his gun. Kento took a step forward, but Cye's voice stopped him.   
"Hold it, Kento, he's okay. Tsune, this is Kento, he's my best friend."  
At the sound of his name, the blue haired boy jerked, then relaxed and signaled to Jino, allowing Kento to pass.  
"Cye, you okay?" Kento asked.  
"I'm fine," he replied, pushing himself to his feet. "They just hit me kind of funny."  
It was then Kento noticed the two unconscious forms on the ground. "Whoa! Where did they come from? I thought you lost them, Cye."  
"Guess I must be losing my touch. Where's Ryo?"  
"Temporarily immobilized. And I stress temporarily."  
"Then we should leave," Tsune interjected. "I know a place we can hide. But you'll need to, um..." He made a vauge gesture at them.  
Cye smiled. "You mean you want us out of our armor?" He changed back into his street clothes. "You don't want them to be able to track us. And the armors are kind of noticeable."  
Tsune nodded gratefully. "Yes. That's it."  
Kento looked doubtful. "Cye, are you sure--"  
"Yes, Kento. Tsune is a friend of Yuli."  
"Yuli?" Kento echoed. "You mean my little buddy Yuli? That Yuli?"  
"One and the same, though older."  
Tsune walked over to the now-unarmored Kento and extended a hand. "I haven't introduced myself to you yet. I'm Tsune."  
"Nice to meet you," Kento said warmly, shaking the offered hand. "Any friend of Yuli's is a friend of mine."  
"I was about to say something similar. Any friend of Cye's is my friend, too."  
"An any fren' o' his," Jino said, cocking a thumb at Tsune, "is mine too. Name's Jino."  
"So, are we leaving?" Unexpectedly a girl jumped down from a window, landing neatly next to a startled Aeris. "Hello, all. Since we're doing introductions, I'm Torie."  
"Well, allo there. Took ya long enough," Jino said with a smartalec grin.  
"I was supposed to stay hidden in case the red demon showed up, remember?" She gave him a light whack on the back of his head. "Smart alec. You have the memory span of a goldfish--three minutes. Unless it's a pretty girl you're fixated on. Anyway," she continued, ignoring Jino's indignant squacks and turning to Tsune, "you seemed to be leaving, and I didn't feel like being left behind. How are you?" she asked Aeris, extending her own hand.  
"Fine, I'm Aeris," she replied, shaking Torie's hand.  
Cye identified Jino and Torie as the same pair of teens who, along with Tsune, had first confronted him hostilely a year ago. A sudden pillar of flame shot about the rooftops, catching everyone's attention.  
"Um, guys? Now would be a good time to leave."  
  
"Here, fair madame, allow me to escort you around our humble abode."  
Torie knocked Jino's hand off Aeris's shoulder. "The only thing you'll be showing off is your pathetic attempts at flirtation."  
"Me? Flirt?" Jino assumed an innocent expression.  
"Flirt??" Aeris turned as pink as her hair.  
Torie put a comforting arm around Aeris. "You're young and you're pretty, and you haven't blown him off yet, so naturally he'll flirt with you." She turned Aeris away from Jino. "Come on, I'll show you around."  
"Stop!" Jino dashed in front of the girls, holding out a hand. "Torie, you should be ashamed. I, in all decency, cannot allow two gorgeous--" Aeris turned pink again, "--girls such as yourselves to wander around such a rough camp without protection from the riff-raff."  
Torie raised an eyebrow. "You think I can't take care of myself?"  
"Well, no, it's just--"  
"Jino, get lost."  
"Torie! Think of Aeris, this sweet, innocent--"  
"Oh, you like that. Innocent so she doesn't see through your flirting, and sweet so she doesn't dump you right away."  
"Your words sting my heart--"  
"Oh, wah. Come on, Aeris."  
From the door, Tsune, Cye, and Kento watched Torie drag along a blushing Aeris across the open ground, Jino tagging along. "Those two sure are a pair. You can't tell they really are best friends, but they are. The three of us have been together through this whole mess." Tsune turned back into the building.  
Cye followed him. "So, where's Yuli? Is he around?"  
Tsune halted. "It's funny you should mention Yuli," he said, an odd catch in his voice.  
Cye caught it. Kento did not. "So, where is he, anyway?" Kento asked, plopping into a nearby chair casually.  
"He's dead."  
"What?" Cye grabbed the arm of the chair while Kento sprang up from it. "Yuli? Dead? How?"  
Tsune would not meet Kento's eyes. "About a year ago. One of those demons killed him."  
Kento sat down in the chair again, numb with shock. "My poor little pal Yuli..."  
Cye knew that Tsune referred to Ryo, Sage, and Rowen as demons. He wondered if Yuli had recognized them when they had killed him. ~If only they knew...If only we had a way to reach them!~ "So, if Yuli's gone...Wasn't he like your leader or something? Who's the leader now?"  
Tsune sat down, blinking back tears. "Me. Of all the people in this camp, the older and wiser ones, he passed over them to pick me." He gripped the arms of the chair. "Why? I'm not a leader."  
"You lead your friends Torie and Jino," Cye told him.  
"That's different!" Tsune cried. "I feel like I'm a little kid who just got shoved into leadership of the world. I don't know what I'm doing..."  
Cye thought back to what Yuli had said to him of Tsune. ~...he has a good heart, he just has trouble trusting people...When I die, that's who I want to take over...~ He gently put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I don't think Yuli was wrong in his choice."  
Tsune managed a weak smile for Cye. "So, where are you guys staying tonight?"  
"We hadn't really gotten that far," Kento said, putting a hand behind his head.  
"Stay here," Tsune urged. "Worst case scenario and they show up, we'll have them piped into oblivion before they can blink. Which reminds me." Tsune pulled out his own pipe and regarded the dent in it, "I need to have this looked into."  
  
Haruka was down on her hands and knees, scrabbling through the thick dust. Setsuna came in the door, something small wrapped in her arms. "Did you find anything yet?"  
Haruka rolled over, laying flat on her back. Setsuna regarded her. "Are you sure he was even here?"  
Haruka giggled and held up a hand. Twined around her fingers was a strand of blue hair. "And who said I was unreliable?"  
Setsuna smiled. "Not me." She knelt down next to the blonde woman who was getting filthy very rapidly. "A year ago we could never have gotten this close to it."  
"A year ago we wouldn't have known where to begin," Haruka countered with a dry grin.  
  
A year ago, Setsuna had walked into Haruka's room, looking rather dazed. Haruka, who was meditating, opened one eye. "Hi. Nice timing. It's ready--what's wrong?" she said concernedly, opening both eyes.  
Setsuna slowly dropped into a chair. "I'm going to be pregnant."  
"WHAT??" Completely taken off guard, Haruka fell over. Picking herself off the floor, she gaped and finally managed, "Who?"  
"Ryo," Setsuna said, laying her head on the table.  
"And you let him?" was the first thing Haruka could think of.  
"He would have killed me if I hadn't," Setsuna moaned.  
"True." Haruka collected her thoughts and sat on the other side of the junk-littered table from Setsuna. "Okay, next question: do you know why?"  
Setsuna nodded slightly. "The Master thinks the two of us can produce a strong warrior child."  
Haruka snorted her opinion of the Master of World's Darkness. Setsuna stared miserably at the grain of the tabletop. "Haruka, I'm so worried. If the child's a girl, they'll kill her at birth, but if it's a boy, they'll enslave him to the dark power immediately. What kind of a life is that?"  
"A still birth may be kinder," Haruka said softly. "Makota's got--"  
"No!" Setsuna looked at Haruka, horrified. "It may be just one chance in a million, but I won't deny my child that chance to live and be happy by choice."  
Haruka looked at her a moment before nodding understandingly. "I guess we should get on with this, then."  
Setsuna nodded. Haruka picked up a small glass ring which had a concentrated red sphere suspended in it. She placed it on a small pedestal in the middle of the table and grabbed Setsuna's hands, clasping them with her own. She placed her elbows firmly on the table and positioned their hands over the pedestal and ring.  
"Clear your mind of everything," Haruka whispered calmly, closing her eyes. Setsuna closed her own and felt the tensed muscles in her back relax.  
~Setsuna, can you hear me? Don't move.~  
Setsuna barely stopped herself from jerking in surprise. ~Haruka?~ she thought hesitantly.  
~Don't move,~ Haruka repeated. ~Sound and movement can disturb or interrupt a divining altogether. I opened a telepathic link through the divining so we can talk without speaking.~  
~I see...I think.~  
~Keep your mind clear. I'm going to start now.~  
Images and sounds exploded in Setsuna's mind. She barely kept her place, silently wishing Haruka had warned her.  
~The blood remembers much,~ Haruka told her. ~We may see things all the way from Ryo's childhood. I'm sorting through all this information now...~  
A bit of a memory appeared in Setsuna's mind. Flash. Starting at a magnificent white tiger that is almost as big as himself. It watches unblinkingly with strange, large brown eyes as he reaches out a trembling hand to touch it.  
~I'm guessing Ryo must have been very young at this time,~ Haruka thought at Setsuna. ~About four or so.~  
Flash. He leans on a table eagerly as his father sorts through a variety of nature photographs.  
Flash. He is older, walking down a street, the tiger at his side. Everyone seems afraid of White Blaze.  
A boy skateboards wildly through the loose crowd, falling off and tumbling to a halt at the tiger's feet. White Blaze licks him...  
Flash. The demon charged at him, scythe upraised. He puts up his arms to defend himself. There is a sudden motion, and he looks up. A blue haired boy, in a subarmor similar to his own, stands in front of him, one arm outstretched to block the blow.  
"You were going to introduce us to your friend," the boy quips.  
~Was that...~ Haruka started.  
~...Rowen?~ Setsuna finished.  
Flash. Intense heat all around. He knows the lava should be burning him, yet it only feels pleasantly warm. He pulls himself up the side, handhold by handhold; he is almost to the top. He pulls himself over the edge of the hole only to see a pair of armored feet and to hear an evil laugh.  
"Anubis!" he exclaims.  
~Anubis...that's one of the names Lady Kayura mentioned to us.~  
~Kayura did say a person named Talpa made Kayura fight against Ryo. Perhaps this Anubis was forced to do the same.~  
Flash. Darkness, then a gleam of light. He slowly opens his eyes to see Sage in a green armor holding his sword with the tip facing him. Sage smiles...  
Flash. He feels pain from his most recent wounds battling Sekhmet. All around him, the bridge is burning. Cye is supporting him, helping him walk...  
Flash. His friends--Cye, Kento, Sage, and Rowen--are trapped inside Talpa. They hold Talpa, urging him to use the powers of his armor to destroy the demon emperor. His handa moving, putting his datchi together, his lips prepared the speak the words of his surekill which will destroy his friends...  
"No, don't make me, please!"  
~Those must be the five armors we have been seeing,~ Setsuna mused. ~I'm guessing Cye and Kento must be the two rebels on Earth who are fighting with the armors of Torrent and Hardrock.~  
~You'd be correct,~ Haruka told her. ~Cye wears Torrent and Kento wears Hardrock. Assuming they haven't been killed and someone else wears their armor.~  
~I think the Master might have brought them back like he did Sage and Rowen.~  
~You're probably right. That's why Sage and Rowen are here, they're former wearers of that armor.~ Haruka's tone became more excited. ~Rowen is the former bearer of Strata. If I can get something off of him, then we may be able to locate that lost armor before someone else does!~  
~How'd you know Rowen had Strata?~  
~I'm an experienced hand at this. You're mostly seeing memories. I'm trying to pull facts out of those memories. Let's keep going.~  
Flash. He was sleeping, then the sudden snarl from White Blaze wakes him. "White Blaze?"  
The tiger snarled again, suddenly launching himself through the glass-paned door with a tinkle of broken glass. "White Blaze!" Ryo grabbed his armor orb and followed the tiger outside.  
A green ball of light appeared. As it got closer, it formed itself into the shape of an armored man.  
Flash. The Ancient one, whom they had thought was dead, stands before him and Rowen. He removes his hat, revealing red hair and green eyes.  
Anubis?  
It's been a while, Wildfire," the man says.  
Flash. Across the lake, an image appears. Sage, Cye, and Kento scream as they are tortured.  
"Stop! You're killing them!" he cries out.  
A feminine figure appears in the shadows, laughing mockingly. She steps into the light. She is so young!  
"Lady Kayura! She's a girl!" Rowen gasps.  
"I'll say!" he replies.  
Flash. He opens his eyes. He is lying in a shallow pond. He looks around at the exotic landscape. Rowen and White Blaze join him...  
~I don't get it. That's the Nether World, but it's so...bright...~  
~I guess this Talpa had taste. Or he needed the world somewhat alive. The Master doesn't, really.~  
Flash. At the top of one of Talpa's evil towers. Fully armed, he dark magic holds him immoble while Talpa does his work. Talpa is using the armors to open a gate to the mortal world! No!  
Yuli comes tearing up the stairs, a gang of Dynasty soldiers on his heels. "Ryo!" the kid cries out in panic.  
I'm sorry, Yuli, I can't move!  
Flash.  
Light shines off the five helmets that have been tossed into the air. It's over! Never again will Talpa return. Never again will they have to fight. He feels the lifting of a great burden off him. No more...  
~These memories are much happier,~ Haruka thought at Setsuna. ~The bad times are over. Can you feel it?~  
She gave Haruka a mental nod. These new memories seemed...lighter, somehow.  
Flash. Graduation. Parties and gifts and eating until one gets sick. Kento ducks Sage into the punch bowl and the blonde retaliates by shoving the whipped cream into Kento's face and an all-out food fight breaks out.  
Flash. Suddenly the memories are dark and sad again.  
"They were looking for us," Rowen says. "But we weren't here."  
Numb with shock, he lays a hand on the suddenly still body of his tiger companion, White Blaze. Why? is all he can think.  
Nearby, Sage digs through the rubble frantically. "Mia? Mia! Oh, please, no...Mia! MIA!" Her name is a terrible cry ripped from Sage's throat, but she lays still in death, unresponsive. Sage begans to sob, clutching her limp body.  
Later he would feel the pain of Mia's and White Blaze's deaths. Right now, all he can do is wonder why.  
Flash.  
"Both of them are dead," he says. "It must have been some kind of kamikaze move." A lump forms in his throat. "Rowen?"  
Kento shakes his head sadly, a tear running down his cheek. "He's gone, Ryo."  
"Over here!" Cye calls. "Sage is still alive!"  
He and Kento run over. Sage is lying on the ground. He kneels and cradles his friend's head gently. "Hey. Sage. You're gonna be all right. We're gonna get you some help. Don't move."  
Sage's eyes are having trouble focusing on his face. The fallen Ronin tuns slightly to look at him, weakly coughing up a bit of blood. "Too...much...Ryo...Cye...Kento...take care...yourselves...Earth..." Sage exhales softly, the violet eyes dimming in death. Sage's soul has gone to join Mia, finally.  
"No!" His choked sob cannot stop what has already passed. Beside him, Kento and Cye also weep freely, greiving for the losses in this unexpected war. In one day, the close knit team of five has become three.  
Flash. He flips through channels idly, wondering where the Twin Slashers will appear today. He hears steps behind him and looks up.  
"Got it," he announces. "They're at Yakomshi Harbor again, plundering the warehouses."  
Cye tries to cheer him up. "Oh, was that you, Ryo? I thought a black squirrel was perched on the couch."  
He grins and runs a hand through his thick long hair as he sits up. "I'll get it cut...eventually..."  
Then, a blackness crept into Setsuna's vision, threatening to engulf her. She screamed and blacked out...  
  
"Are you okay?"   
Setsuna opened her eyes and looked into Haruka's. "I'm fine, thanks. What...what was that?"  
"The heart of darkness," Haruka said simply. "As Ryo remembered it."  
"How horrible." Setsuna got to her feet. "No one deserves all that pain in their life, least of all him."  
"Agreed." Haruka's face stated what she didn't say aloud: The Master is scum who deserves to die.  
Setsuna shakily sat back down at the table. "I'm sorry. I guess I kind of spoiled the divining." The blood had splattered across the table and the equipment was knocked over.  
"It doesn't matter. I got what I needed. We wouldn't have gotten anything else anyway. The heart of darkness would have keept newer memories out of the bloodstream because they wouldn't be the true memories, seen with the true eyes and heart of Ryo."  
Setsuna nodded, sighing slightly. Haruka caught it. "Now what?"  
"I think I'm in love with him."  
Haruka paused, then gaped. "Okay. Now I've heard everything. How can you like this guy? You've never even seen his nice side! All you have are a few memories."  
"We know now he's not really evil--"  
"Maybe not. But right now, he is under the influence of the heart of darkness, and he is a deranged, evil killer. This is not exactly prime husband material here!" Catching the look in Setsuna's eyes, she sighed in despair. "C'mon, grow some brains, girl friend! You're only going to get your heart broken."  
"I don't care if I do." Setsuna looked at her friend. "When I healed him this afternoon, it was like I felt his mind. He's like a caged tiger, pining for freedom. He cries out with pain and sorrow every time he has to fight his friends, he'd rather die than fight them." Setsuna lowered her head. "So much sadness...All I want to do is ease his pain, comfort him, tell him it's going to be all right."  
Haruka let out a sigh in resignation. "I take it then you'll give me a bit more cooperation in fighting the Master?"  
"Most definetely. But not," she patted her stomach, "for another nine months."  
  
"Yo! Setsuna!"  
Setsuna started out of the memory. "What?" she said absently.  
Haruka stood, attempting to dust herself off and failing miserably. "Someone wants your attention."  
Setsuna finally noticed the gentle but insistent tug on her hair. "Shh, little one. We'll return soon." She stroked a finger down the shy, happy face that looked up lovingly at her.  
Haruka tapped the baby's nose playfully. "Who loves her auntie Haruka? You do!"  
Setsuna batted at her hands. "Away, dirty hands. You wash yourself first!"  
Haruka ignored her, continuing to wave her fingers in front of the child's face. "She's a miracle, that little one. And never a day of trouble, either."  
"That she is." Setsuna moved away. "Now, give me that hair, and oh, for crying out loug, clean yourself off!"  
  
"The baby!"  
"Move quick. Is it breathing?"  
Setsuna lay in bed, exhausted. Vaugely she overheard Haruka and Makota.  
"There's too much blood...Setsuna!"  
"It's a girl!"  
"She's not breathing! Do something!"  
"No good. It's a stillbirth."  
"Someone notify Ryo and the Master!"  
Setsuna weakly tried to sit up. She felt torn. What was the point of all that time and effort if the child hadn't even had a chance at life? It wasn't fair!  
Makota pressed a hand against Setsuna's chest and pushed her back down. "Don't exert yourself. Here. Drink this. You need to regain your strength."   
Setsuna struggled feebly. "My child...I want to see her!"  
Makota forced the cup to Setsuna's lips. "The child was a stillbirth. Haruka has gone to dispose of the body."  
"No! I don't care! Let me see her, if only once!" But the drugs in the cup were already taking effect. She fell back against the pillows into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Setsuna wakened late at night as someone opened the door. Feeling much stronger, she sat up to see Haruka step into the room. "Hey. You awake?"  
"How could you?" Setsuna whispered, hurt. "You just disposed of my child? How could you?"  
Haruka rolled her eyes and flashed her a grin. She deposited a small bundle into Setsuna's lap. "Here. Stop your bellyaching. Oops, bad phrase, right?"  
Confused, Setsuna partly removed the wrapping. A pair of soft blue eyes gazed back lovingly at her. "Wha...what..."  
"We rigged it, Makota and I, to make it look like it was a stillbirth," Haruka explained. "A lot of spells and such I really don't feel like explaining. You're just lucky she was a girl. We could never have pulled it off if she'd been a boy."  
Setsuna reached out a hand in wonder, hardly daring to touch the newborn lest she vanish, only a product of her imagination.  
"What are you going to call her?" Haruka asked, a slight smile on her face as she watched mother and daughter meet.  
Setsuna was silent for the longest time. A name came to her.  
"Ryoko," she said finally.  
  
"Yo! Setsuna! Stop spacing out on me!" Haruka said, irritated.  
Setsuna snapped back into the present. "What? I promise I'm listening now."  
Haruka sighed patiently, rolling her eyes upward. "I said, I'll go get cleaned up, then I'll do the divining. Tell Makota, okay? Wherever this armor is, I doubt that it's going to be in the Nether Realm. We'll need a way to get to the mortal realm. Tell Makota that, okay?"  
She nodded. "All right."  
  
"Kento!" Cye tapped the sleeper on the forehead. "I've made you pancakes, but you don't get any if you don't get up right away.  
"Pancakes?" Kento sat up in bed. "You've got my attention!" He got up hurriedly, putting some day clothes on before following Cye out.  
Aeris emerged from a side room, unusually perky. She skipped a circle around Kento, giggling.  
"Well, good morning, Aeris!" Kento said cordially, catching her hands. "What are you so happy about? Did you sleep well?"  
She nodded happily, slipping her hands out of his grasp. "Better than you know, Kento. I did it! I controlled a vision. I saw what I needed to know!"  
"What? Hey, that's great! What'd you see?" Kento asked, temporarily forgetting the pancakes.  
"Okay. There's this place we need to go tonight, a bar kind of place. There's someone in there, someone important that you guys know. I don't know who, though, but you will."  
"So what did you do?" Kento interrupted.  
"I'm getting there. Okay, originally I saw both of you guys going in. Then this big fight breaks out, and Cye gets really hurt. So, then, I said to myself, okay, what if Cye doesn't go in? Will Kento still be okay? And then I saw the vision again, only with just Kento going in, and it worked! Kento needs to go in alone." Catching Cye's look, she grabbed his hand and added, "We'll be right outside. But nothing will happen to Kento outside of a few scratches. Trust me!"  
"You know I do, Aeris," Kento chuckled. "Your visions have saved us more than a couple of times. Pancakes?" he hinted.  
Cye laughed. "Kento's philosophy: Eat first, save the world afterward."  
"That's not entirely true!"  
"Not 'entirely'?"  
  
Cye was restless, pacing the alley where he and Aeris had been left in. He cast another look over at the bar where Kento had gone in. "This is a bad neighborhood. We shouldn't be here..."  
"Don't worry." Aeris took his hand. "Kento's a big boy. He can take care of himself."  
Inside the bar, if anyone had a problem with the stranger who boldly walked into their midst, they took a glance at his large and well-built frame and decided not to say anything about it. The bartender didn't care who he was, as long as he had money and didn't start a fight.  
Kento took a seat at the bar. The bartender eyed him. "What'll yeh have?" he grunted.  
"Something cheap," he replied, placing some coins on the counter. The bartender quickly scooped them up and went for a glass. Kento took a quick glance around. Someone he knew was here, but who? He considered. Who did he know that wasn't dead already? Some distant relative or an old school acquaintance?  
The bartender brought the drink, and Kento sipped it, leaning against the bar as he scanned the large group of rowdy drinkers. No one looked familiar. ~This is hopeless,~ he thought to himself. Finishing his drink, he played with the empty glass as he watched people go in and out. He debated getting another one; he wanted to be alert in case this person did show up, but it would look suspicious if he just hung around. Kento glanced out the window. The sun had already set; it was later than he thought. Maybe he should just forget about it and leave.  
Something next to him stirred, and Kento refrained from starting. He hadn't even realized the lump next to him was even a person, let alone alive.  
With the sloppy movements of a heavy drinker, the man heavily banged the glass down on the table. "More."  
The bartender gave him a look. "Yeh had enuff. Y' ain't got no more money, do yeh?"  
"More!" the man insisted, banging the glass slowly for emphasis.  
"An' I say if y' ain't got no money, y' don't get no drink. Be off with yeh!"  
With a snarl, the man leapt up, knocking the stool over. As the stool fell to the ground, the attentions of the merry drinkers was turned toward him. Kento, however, noticed only the distinctive, cross-shaped scar that stretched actoss his eye and cheek.   
~Right under my nose!~  
"Get 'em! He's tryin' ta steal our drink!" one of the men slurred, and suddenly the merry gang was a dangerous mob, moving toward the bar.  
"Cale!" Kento yelled in warning. Cale had turned to face the crowd, ready to attack and kill anyone who came near. His fighting blood was up.  
"No guns! No guns!" the bartender yelled as the sound of several shots tore through the air. Fortunately, the ones firing the guns were too drunk to aim properly, so most of the shots went wide from anyone.  
This was serious. The fight would be brief, but too intense. The numbers and ferocity of the brawlers would overwhelm Kento if he tried to protect Cale as well. Escape was the only option. Kento threw off the front row of attackers, knocking them into the men behind, who thought this was hilarous. Confusion reigned for a few precious moments. Something slammed into Kento's shoulder, knocking him into the bar. Kento winced as he felt the corner of the bar hit his ribs, then he whirled to face an angry Cale.  
"Aw, c'mon!" Kento yelled. "Whose side are you on, anyway? I'm trying to help you! Do you remember me, Cale? It's me, Kento of Hardrock!" Kento angrily pushed the drunks back, wincing as some blunt object collided with his hand. A knife grazed his ear.  
Kento thought he saw a flicker of recognition in Cale's eyes. Kento seized Cale by the arm and plowed through the crowd like a cannonball. Striking out left and right, he got to the door and knocked it open. Throwing Cale into the night, he followed, looking for an avenue of escape.  
The bar fight had not gone unnoticed by Cye and Aeris. The latter had to restrain the former from running in after Kento. "Stop, Cye! He'll be fine, but if you go in there you won't be!"  
"Let me go! Kento!" Cye was beyond logic in his worry for his friend.  
The door burst open and a figure was flung into the street, followed by Kento, who picked the person up and looked around.  
"Kento!" Cye called in relief. "You're safe!"  
"Over here!" Aeris waved. "See, I told you he'd be fine," she added to Cye.  
The mob poured through the door and windows, still intent on Kento and Cale. Kento cast a quick look around, frantic. Grabbing Cale under one arm, he leapt up.  
Cheated of their intended target, the drunken men instead ran at Cye and Aeris. The girl cried out with fear and clung to Cye.   
"Cye! Up here!" came Kento's voice. Cye looped an arm around Aeris and leapt, rebounding off the sides of the buildings until he reached the roof where Kento was.  
"Kento!" Aeris hugged him in relief and fright. "What happened? Who were those people?"  
Kento looked over the side of the building at the group. "Those...people," he echoed, "are too drunk to think straight and so they decided attacking someone would be fun. Don't worry," he added as he saw her worried face. "The crowd will break up and they'll get calm again without a target to pursue."  
"So did you find someone we know, Kento?" Cye asked.  
"Yeah, I did. Over here." Cale had thrown up, purging his system of the drink. Kento gently hauled the blue haired man to his feet and guided him away from the puddle. "Are you all right now, Cale?"  
"Cale?" Cye repeated in surprise.  
Cale coughed weakly and wiped at his mouth. "It always happens this way," he muttered to himself. "It wears off way too quick. I suppose I owe you some thanks for the rescue, Hardrock."  
"It was nothing, Cale, what are you doing here on Earth? And in a bar, of all places? What's happening in the Nether Realm?"  
Cale broke from his grasp and fell to the ground, onto his knees, shaking his head violently. One hand rose shakily to his face, clutching at a new scar across the bridge of his nose.  
"Kento, we shouldn't question him right now," Cye said softly. "Let's leave him alone."  
"No. I'm fine now. I'm okay. I see the same thing every night in my dreams, what can mere talking about it do?" Cale shifted into a sitting position, looking up at the night sky. "How long has it been since we last met, Ronins?"  
Cye considered. "I'd say at least eight years or so."  
"Eight years?" Cale rubbed the scar on the bridge of his nose reflectively. "I didn't think there'd be any of you still left alive and fighting him."  
"It's been rough," Kento said quietly. "Cale, just who is this guy?"  
"Who knows?" Cale said wearily. "He showed up about, oh, two years after we parted ways. Most of the Dynasty people were slain. Dais and Sekhmet...gone. Kayura..." His voice broke.  
There was a long, quiet pause. "You loved her?" Cye asked finally.  
Cale nodded slightly, trying to regain control of his voice. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "But she loved Dais. He died...protecting her. I tried...to protect her, but I couldn't win...I wasn't strong enough. I surrendered so they wouldn't hurt her. Him and his minions. He said they wouldn't...hurt her...if I did. They lied, they beat her, while I watched, and was helpless...they stole my armor, beat me, left me to die here...somehow I survived." He looked down, his fists clenched. "If I'd have died rather than surrender, she could have made it. She could have gotten away. I should have died. Dais and Sekhmet didn't deserve that, but I do. I was a coward."  
"Coward?" Kento said in disbelief, regarding him askance. "Hey, anybody that dared to face off against ME is not a coward."  
"Spare me your flattery," Cale said harshly. "You don't leave your friends behind to die. You didn't decide that you were special enough to live when they did die. And you didn't let your only living friend fall into the enemy's hands. You want to know why I was in that bar? I was trying to forget. Drinking so I wouldn't remember what a weak, pathetic coward I am."  
Kento knelt by Cale, seeing it was pointless to argue with him in his current frame of mind. "Fine, if you want to feel that way. But we need your help, Cale."  
"Help?" Cale looked at him contemptuously. "What do you think I could possibly do to help you?"  
"You can help us fight this guy."  
Cale let out a mirthless laugh. "Oh yeah. The mighty Cale will just tear them apart with his bare hands."  
"I'm serious, Cale. We need all the help we can get."  
"You don't need my help." Cale looked down. "I'll probably just end up running out on you. What would you say then?"  
"We'd probably thank you for all your help up to that point," Cye replied softly. "Look, you want to take this guy down, right? You want revenge for your friends and you want to rescue Kayura, don't you?"  
"I don't even know if she's alive anymore." He sat up. "Wait. She will be. Before they caught us, she hid the armors of Loyalty and Illusion somewhere. Only she knows where they are."  
"Are you sure? I can't even imagine what they'd do to her to get their hands on those other armors," Cye said worriedly.  
Cale looked at him oddly. "The armor given to her by Anubis when he sacrificed himself for her and the armor of her lover?" He shook his head. "She'll die first. And they won't kill her until she tells, so she's safe."  
Cye pulled something out of his pocket and pressed it into Cale's hand. "Here. Take this. Use it."  
Cale looked at it in shock. "Halo? No, I can't!"  
"Correction, Cale," Kento interrupted gently. "You're the only one who can. And you're the only one who can help Kayura."  
He looked down at the armor orb, rolling it around in his fingers for a long moment. "I'll think about it," he whispered.  
Kento patted him gently on the shoulder. "Thanks. C'mon, let's go find a place to crash."  
  
"Wakey wakey!"  
Setsuna opened her eyes blearily. Haruka stood over her merrily, holding Ryoko in her arms.  
"Do you ever sleep?" she mumbled.  
"Not much," Haruka said cheerily. She handed Ryoko to Setsuna when she sat up. "Come on. Work to be done. The kid stays with Makota and we get to take a field trip."  
Setsuna changed clothes and followed Haruka out of the room. The silver-haired woman was waiting for them. "I think I've found something. I think this artifact was used for teleportation."  
Haruka looked at it oddly. "A candle? What gives here?"  
Makota took a match and gently lit it. "You light it, imagine where you want to go, then blow it out. There's enough magic in it that it should get you there and back. Once you find the armor, though, you should be fine. The armors have teleporting capabilities, I believe."  
Haruka shrugged then nodded. "Well, let's hit the road, then. Setsuna, grab my arm. I'll do the imagining."  
Setsuna nodded and handed Ryoko to Makota, then placed a hand on Haruka's arm. Haruka concentrated, then blew out the candle in her hands.  
The world went dark. There was no light, no noise, not even the feel of Haruka's arm under her hand. She was beginning to think that something had gone wrong when the world burst into light again and her senses returned.  
"Fun, huh?" Haruka said.  
"Yeah, right!" Setsuna replied weakly.  
Haruka looked around. They were standing on a sandy peninsula that jutted out into the sea. It was a very scenic spot, the waves lapping against the beach quietly. Haruka walked over to the shoreline and wiggled her toes in the sand. "I could get used to this."  
"Get serious," replied Setsuna, unimpressed by the scenery. "Where is the armor?"  
"I really don't know," Haruka said, looking around. "Maybe in the water?"  
"Or maybe farther up the beach," Setsuna interjected, moving away from the water. "You check the shoreline."  
"This is like looking for a needle in a haystack," Haruka complained. "This beach is just too big. Without some systematic way of looking, we'll be here all year. And it might not even be here, it might have washed into the sea or someone might have picked it up. Ouch! I think I stepped on a pebble."  
Setsuna ignored her and continued to scan the beach. In its orb form, the armor could blend in perfectly with the beach. Setsuna shifted around some rocks, letting the white sand run through her fingers. "How's it coming, Haruka?"  
When she got no response, she turned. Much to her disgust, the distractible Haruka had stopped looking as was once again wiggling her toes around in the mud. "Can't you concentrate on anything for more than ten seconds?" she snapped.  
"I am concentrating." Haruka wiggled a bit more before stepping out of her footprint. "Remember that dang pebble I stepped on?"  
"Yes, what about it?" Setsuna was losing patience, something she rarely did.  
Haruka bent over and scooped something out of her footprint. "Well, here's a funny thing. It's perfectly round. Not something that occurs in nature a lot, ya think?"  
Setsuna strode over to Haruka, ill temper forgotten. "Do you think it could be Strata?"  
"It may be, Setsuna, it may be. Won't know until I clean it off." Haruka began rinsing the mud off the stone in the ocean. It slid off, revealing a dark blue orb. "It's Strata!" Haruka exclaimed triumphantly.  
The two women regarded the harmless looking but powerful sphere for a long moment. "Well, that wasn't too hard," Haruka said finally.  
"Yes, but what do we do with it?" Setsuna said.  
"That's the easy part. We fight!" Haruka said decisively. "We'll join the rebels and swing this battle the other way!"  
"Haruka, don't be foolish. If we ran off, the Master would figure it out. Everyone back there would suffer."  
"So? We'll take them with us! Bring them to Earth. They can't be any worse off here than they are under that megalomaniac's nose."  
"We couldn't protect them from him and fight at the same time, Haruka. We can't put their lives in danger like that. The only way is to keep the fact that we have Strata a secret. Not even Hitako can know, Haruka," Setsuna said firmly. "There's only this armor and neither of us are fighters."  
"But...I guess you're right," Haruka said, crestfallen.  
Setsuna held out her hand. "Here. Give me the armor. How do you activate it?"  
Haruka gaped and pointed. "You? Fight? This?"  
"Listen, Haruka. Neither of us have had any combat experience. Ryo, Rowen, and Sage have a huge advantage over us. They're trained warriors with many years of experience and they're very used to the armors. This armor has a bow, right? Our primary concern is keeping the Master away from this armor, not fighting with it. The best we can hope for is a bit of sniper action, and I'm a better shot than you. Plus I'm less likely to get myself killed. I'm more cautious."  
"You really thought this out, haven't you?" Haruka said as she handed the orb to her. "Armor of Strata, Tao Inochi."  
"What?"  
"That's how you activate it," Haruka explained. "Armor of Strata, Tao Inochi. You said it once to switch into the subarmor, then again to use the full armor."  
"I see." Setsuna looked down at the potent sphere resting harmlessly in her palm. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she repeated the phrase.  
The form of the orb vanished from her hand. A warm flush covered her skin as her vision turned blue. There was a tearing sound, then the blue vanished. Setsuna looked down. From her neck down, she was covered in the blue and white subarmor. She gently bent over and picked up a scrap of what had been her kimono. "Haruka?" she said pleasantly.  
The other woman winced. "Sorry! I kinda forgot it does that. I'll get you some other clothes, sorry!" Her eyes were sparkling. So, come on! Show me what you can do in that!"  
"Erm, okay." Setsuna tried a little jump. What she tried for was not what she got, soaring over head height instead. She landed rather shakily. "Whoa."  
"It appears the armor enhances your natural strength," Haruka observed. "Cool."  
"This is going to take some getting used to..." Setsuna mummered.  
  
Cale stepped out of the run-down building where he had slept, blinking in the morning sun. Around him, teens moved equipment, collapsed tents, and made preparations for breakfast.   
~Fighting for their lives,~ Cale thought as he inhaled gratefully. ~And completely unafraid.~  
"Yo! Cale!" Kento had finally crawled off the couch where he had crashed last night. "Good mornin', sunshine!" He gave the other warrior a sound clap on the back.  
"Oh, lay off, Hardrock," Cale replied good-naturedly. "I'm not a person to mess with in the mornings."  
"Aw, why so formal? I'm Kento, remember?" He paused, his attention caught by something else. "I smell...PANCAKES!" He ran off, almost plowing over a pink haired girl--Aeris, Cale remembered--in his efforts to grab the platter. "Please please please please?"  
Aeris giggled as she attempted to keep the plate of pancakes out of Kento's reach. "Cye! He's doing it again!"  
The Ronin of Torrent came out furiously, brandishing a pancake turner. "Kento!! Keep your grubby hands off those pancakes until it's time to eat!"  
"But--but--" Kento whined.  
Cale shook his head. ~What a bunch of goofballs. But those 'goofballs' have been doing a far better job of fighting the enemy than I have.~  
"Hey, um, whatsyername! C'n ya give me a hand with this?"  
Cale turned. One of the teenaged boys was staggaring around with a box almost as large as himself. Cale walked over and took the box. "Here. Where do you want it?"  
"Ah, thanks, pal," Jino said. "Here, goes on the wagon. We're moving the campsite again, y'see."  
"Why are you moving?" Cale inquired curiously.  
"Oh, we shift the bugger around every coupla weeks or so. The demons would have no problems findin' us if we didn't."  
"Demons, huh." ~Must be the enemy.~  
Aeris was still fending Kento off the tray when she suddenly stiffened, losing her grip on the platter. Kento caught it. "Aeris? What is it?"  
"Uh...uh..." Aeris turned, wild eyed, as if looking for something. Her eye fell on the wagon. "Cale! Jino! Get away from that box, now!"  
"Eh? Whuzzat?" Jino asked. Cale caught the tone of urgency in Aeris's tone. Not taking the time to question the order, he grabbed the younger boy and hit the deck.  
The box exploded in a firey blast, throwing shards and shrapnel everywhere. "Thanks again, pal," Jino managed to gasp out.  
"What was in that box?" Cale asked breathlessly.  
Jino let out a colorful curse. "Explosives."  
Tsune immediately ran out of a building, surveying the area. "What just happened?"  
"Heads up! We got company!" a sentry yelled.   
Tsune didn't even need to see them. Balls of flame hurtled down into the open space. He began firing off orders at once. "Don't panic! Get with your group leaders! Groups two and four, I want you to load what you can and get it out of here! Three and five, get all noncombatants out of the area! Group one, come with me!"  
"Let us handle this, Tsune." Cye cut him off. "This is going to get ugly."  
"Fine. Group one, go with three and five. Jino, Torie, report to me now!" Tsune gave Cye a half-smile. "You can't order me around on my own territory, Cye. My mentor almost killed the red one. Let's see if I can't finish the job."  
With a mental start, Cye realized that Tsune had no inhibition about killing Ryo. ~Maybe that's why we haven't won yet? Because we're reluctant to end this?~  
Kento took Aeris by the arm. "Go with the others. You'll be safe there."  
She nodded. "Just...don't hurt the blue one, okay?" she said.  
"What?" Kento asked, confused.  
She put a hand over her mouth in surprise. "Oops. I'm really on a roll today, aren't I?"  
He patted her on the shoulder. "That's a good thing. Now go on."  
Jino and Torie ran up with Cale behind them. "Jino 'n' Torie, specials backup numbers one and two, reporting for duty, sah!" Jino said with a mock salute.  
Tsune looked over at Cye and Kento. "We'll let you engage them, but we'll spread out and jump in if we get an opening."  
"Right. Good idea. Come on, Cye. Cale, you coming?"  
The older man was startled out of his thoughts. "What? Yes. Yes, I'm coming."  
Kento's grim face suddenly broke into a soft smile. "Thanks a lot, Cale."  
As he called upon the armor, Cale felt uncomfortable. The armor was not his. He'd give anything for his own armor, but that wasn't a possibility. Still, he was a man of shadows with too stained a past to be using the armor of Light.  
~This is a war. You use what you have.~  
~But what's the point of fighting if you've lost what you're fighting for?~  
The three leapt up to the rooftop level. Ryo, Sage, and Rowen were waiting for them.  
"Look what got flushed out of the rat-hole," Ryo smirked as he slowly drew his datchi.  
"Ryo?" Cale said softly. "And Rowen and Sage as well? You didn't tell me we were fighting the rest of the Ronins!"  
"Er, well, sorry. I thought we told you," Kento said, sweatdropping.  
Cale chewed his lip in thought. "All right. There's three of us and three of them. Let's go one on one," Cale said. Single combat would also give the three kids a better opportunity to strike. "I'll take Sage. He's got my armor. Who wants Ryo and Rowen?"  
"I'll take Ryo," Cye said softly.  
"Are you sure?" Kento asked concernedly. When Cye nodded, determined, Kento shrugged. "I guess I'll take on Rowen then."  
  
Makota looked up casually as Haruka and Setsuna teleported into the room, then she did a double take. "What are you doing in that, here? Are you trying to give yourself away?" she hissed.  
"Blame Haruka," Setsuna replied calmly.  
"I said I'm sorry already!" Haruka yelped. "I'll get you a change of clothes right now. See? I'm going." She left the room and returned with a spare set.  
"..." Makota said as Setsuna stepped into a side room to change.  
"I kinda forgot," Haruka said to Makota, sweatdropping nervously.  
Makota shook her head. "It's probably just as well that Ryo and the others are out."  
Haruka leapt up. "They're out fighting?" she asked excitedly.  
"Yes."  
Haruka pounded on the side door. "Setsuna! Don't change just yet."  
"You're nuts," came a voice from inside. "I am not going out in some armor I barely know how to use."  
"Oh, come on. You practiced, didn't you? You know how to work the bow and everything."  
"I'm not doing it, Haruka."  
"Setsuna! All you'll be doing is sniping, remember? One arrow could save a life."  
"Oh, Haruka, I know I am going to regret this..."  
Haruka grinned as Setsuna stepped out, in the subarmor again. "I knew you'd see it my way!"  
  
Cale realized he was outclassed by Sage. The fallen warrior was bringing out all the bad sides of Cale's former armor. Cale, on the other hand, had little to no idea how to use the Halo armor.   
"It seems your little role reversal didn't work," Sage sneered as he aimed an upward slice at Cale's head.  
"It was worth a shot," Cale replied as he brought up his own no datchi to block it. Sage immediately followed with three blows, the last with a Black Lightning Strike. The attack at close range threw Cale back violently, knocking him off the rooftop and throwing him into the opposing wall head first. Falling brokenly the rest of the distance, he lay in a crumpled heap in the alley.  
Cye jumped aside, letting another fireball whiz past him. Ryo growled. "Hold still, curse you!"  
"That would take the fun out of it." Cye got in closer and fired a hard blast of water at Ryo's chest. Ryo managed to brace himself, but a hard kick following caught him off guard. Stumbling back, he tripped over the edge of the roof, barely managing to catch himself with one hand. One datchi fell into the alley below, landing with a clatter.  
"Ha!" Cye panted, pointing his yari at Ryo. ~I'm going to finish this for real.~ "You won't--"  
A cold, hard point penetrated his armor low in the back, stabbing deep. Cye screamed in pain, his knees giving way under him. He fell to the roof surface heavily.  
Ryo leapt back onto the roof. "What are _you_ doing here?!" he demanded.  
The Twin Slasher sheathed his bloody sword. "The Master sent us. If you have objections, take it up with him."  
Ryo merely glared at him before leaping off the roof to retrieve his datchi. "Be sure that you leave him to me!"  
"Yes, Champion of the Dynasty, Master's little pet," the twin muttered to himself.  
Kento heard the cry. Knocking Rowen back, he risked a glance over. "Cye?" He turned just as something moved into his vision, striking him hard. He fell, bleeding from a deep gash in his forehead.  
The other twin turned to Rowen. "Do you wish to finish him, or shall I?"  
"I'll do it," Rowen replied, drawing one of his datchi.  
Tsune watched, hidden. "Come on, Kento, get up!" he hissed to himself. The armored warrior did not stir.  
~Time for me to step in,~ he thought grimly. Drawing his gun, he leapt out and fired one shot at the twin and two at Rowen, aiming for the face.  
The twin took the bullet in the side. "You...you hurt me! What manner of earthly--"  
"It's called a gun, stupid," Rowen said harshly. "Take your twin and leave the rest to us."  
Tsune watched as the twin vanished into thin air and Rowen approached him. He fired twice more, but the demon only put up an arm to block the shots.  
~Only one shot left. I'd better make it count,~ he thought to himself as Rowen stopped, a mere arm's length away.  
"So, you think you can defy us?" Rowen laughed.  
"Yes, I do," Tsune said quietly. ~No way I can miss.~ He quickly took a step back, taking aim and firing at point-blank range.  
The bullet struck Rowen in the neck, but no blood poured forth. The demon appeared surprised rather than dead. Tsune's eyes widened. ~A..zombie?~  
"You'll pay for that!"  
Ryo and Sage were watching the entire thing. "Go on, Rowen, kill him," Ryo laughed. "Show him what happens to those who oppose the Dynasty."  
A sudden armored hand shot out, grabbing Tsune by the neck. He choked and gasped for breath as the demon dragged him close.   
Torie and Jino were also watching. "So, they can't even be killed," Torie said grimly. "This is bad."  
Jino shook his head. "Don't matter. We gotta help Tsune!"  
"Give me your gun." When Jino did so, Torie hefted it thoughtfully. "I'll try and draw their attention. Use your pipe."  
"Righto. Good luck, girl." They separated. Jino slunk around, trying to get close. Torie jumped out brazenly and began firing. Tsune gasped for breath as a bullet whizzed past his head.   
Rowen looked over in irritation. "More mosquitos? What fools you are."  
"A mosquito may be small, but they carry some of the deadliest diseases," Torie replied as she continued firing. Tsune's gun ran out and she dropped it, drawing her own in one swift movement.  
Ryo looked over at her, disinterested. He casually tossed a fireball at her. Torie never saw what hit her; she only felt an intense burning which threw her back, off the roof and crashing through a window below.  
~Crud! Gotta do it now!~ Jino saw Torie fall and leapt out, pipe held high. Rowen whirled and swung an arm, knocking Jino back. He tottered on the edge of the roof for a breif moment, then fell with a cry.  
"Ji...no..." Tsune choked.  
Rowen laughed. You fools, absolute weaklings! What do you have to say, boy?"  
"Scum," Tsune managed to grit out.  
Rowen only tightened his grip on Tsune's neck. "I say join your friend, then!"  
Tsune groaned. Too much more pressure and his neck would snap. ~Yuli-sensei....I tried, I really did...~  
Amid his blackening vision, Tsune thought he saw a sudden glimmer of golden light. Rowen let out a cry and dropped Tsune. The boy gasped for air gratefully as he watched Rowen tear at his shoulder.  
Rowen could have never forgotten the look of the arrow like the one he now held. "Ryo! It's Strata! Strata is here!"  
Ryo had already caught a glimpse of the retreating archer. "Not for long, he isn't!" Ryo ran off after the archer.  
Tsune shook his head to clear it. Grabbing his pipe, he swung suddenly with all his strength at Rowen's head. Without a second glance he leapt over the side of the building. The air was torn with the sound of his defiant cry.  
"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"  
  
Cale felt as if he was drifting, even though his head pounded mercilessly. Clutching his head, he looked around. ~Am I awake or unconscious? Am I dead?~  
Gradually he could make out three figures through a haze that seemed to exist only in his mind. They stood, watching, waiting in front of him. ~Dais, Sekhmet? Anubis?~  
"Man, you're fast today," Dais commented.  
~I don't get it. Am I dead?~  
"Of course you're not dead," Sekhmet snorted. "Your head hurts, doesn't it?"  
~Then how...?~  
"Why'd you give up, Cale?" Dais demanded coldly. "Did we not mean enough to you that you'd just quit when you're the only one who can avenge us?"  
~No! I mean, I tried...I did my best. I guess I wasn't good enough.~  
"No, you didn't even try," Dais continued relentlessly. "All you've done is feel sorry for yourself and whine about what a horrible person you are and how you can't use Halo."  
Cale was hurt. ~But...~  
Anubis spoke up. "Cale, listen carefully to what I have to say. You've got the armor of Halo, so use it! Work with what you have. The armor doesn't care about your past and what's already gone. The armor _is_, not was. If your heart's right, the armor will help you."  
~But how do I know if my heart is right? I've been so wrong before...~  
"We all have, Cale," Anubis told him quietly. "But we all changed too."  
Dais jumped in again. "I think it is."  
"So what are you going to do?" Sekhmet asked.  
Cale smiled slowly. ~Me? Why, I'm going to give anyone in this new Dynasty such a beating that they'll still be feeling it in the afterlife. But first...I gotta wake up...~  
  
Cale's eyelids fluttered as sunlight fell across them. ~How long have I been out?~ With a stifled groan, he sat up.   
~A hallucination?~ He smiled to himself. ~Or maybe just some much-needed help from my friends.~  
He looked up. He could make out the armored form of Sage on the roof, watching something. Cale sprang silently, bouncing off walls in the alley until he rested on a windowsill just below roof level. ~If I go onto the roof, they'll see me. I gotta be prepared first. Okay. Maybe if I can figure out how to do a Thunderbolt Cut--~  
His thoughts were broken by a slight moan. Turning, he looked in mild surprise through the broken window to see an injured girl laying on the floor.  
"What?" The girl struggled to sit up, gasping something. Cale stepped into the room. "Shh. Don't move."  
Torie managed to push herself upright. "They...can't be killed," she panted hoarsely. "Tsune...tried..."  
"Sh," Cale whispered. "Don't worry. I'll take the demons out."  
Torie shook her head. "Pipe...take it. Knock 'em out."  
Cale hesitated before taking the pipe from her side. "All right..."  
On the roof, Rowen was still a little woozy from being clobbered. "That 'weakling' sure got you good," Sage snickered snidely.  
~Sage, you are mine.~ Leaping onto the roof, he swung the pipe with all his strength, catching Sage completely off guard. The pipe broke from the force Cale put behind it as Sage dropped without getting out a word.  
Rowen whirled. "So, you're back for more?!" he said dangerously, drawing one of his swords.  
"Yeah, I am," Cale replied as he drew his own no datchi.  
Rowen was about to leapt at Cale when something hit the possessed Ronin from behind, knocking him out. Cale blinked.  
Kento pushed himself slowly to his feet, giving Cale a lopsided grin. He was still bleeding from the gash on his forehead and he looked less than fully conscious. "Told ya I'd bash 'im, didn' I?" he slurred slightly.  
"You take a look at Cye," Cale instructed him. "I'll check on the others."  
Kento nodded rather dizzily. He walked over to his friend. Cye was motionless, lying in a puddle of his own blood. "Oh no, Cye..." Clamping an armored hand over the wound, Kento gently scooped up Cye. Without wasting a moment, he began to walk to the nearest body of water.  
Cale jumped back down into the room where Torie lay. "I'm sorry, I broke your pipe," he said softly as he picked her up.  
Torie laughed weakly. Cale jumped down to street level and looked around, but saw no sign of Kento or Cye.  
"Tsune! Jino!" Cale called, struggling to remember the names. "Where are you?"  
"Over here!" a voice answered. Cale traced the voice back to its source.   
Tsune was helping an injured Jino to his feet. "Lucky me," the normally cheery boy groaned. "Th' jerk hittin' me in th' arm did more damage than fallin' off th' buildin' did. Phew! Tsune, no offense, man, but ya stink."  
"These things happen when you jump off a building into a dumpster," Tsune replied calmly.  
"You jumped off the building?" Cale echoed as he found them.  
"Of yer own free will?" Jino asked, smacking Tsune in the head with his good hand. "You idiot!"  
"It was a calculated risk," Tsune said unblinkingly. "I'm better off than you, aren't I?"  
"Hey. Torie. She okay?" Jino asked as he saw the girl in Cale's arms.   
"She'll be fine, I think, if she gets some help." Torie had passed out from loss of blood.  
"Where's Cye and Kento?" Tsune queried.  
"Already gone. We should do the same."  
  
~Haruka, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!~ Setsuna ducked down, wondering if Ryo was following her. ~What now?!~  
~You are mine, littel archer,~ Ryo smirked to himself as he closed in on where the coward was hiding.  
Setsuna heard the footsteps approach. ~He's onto me! What do I do??~ She furrowed her brow. ~Wait...~  
The warrior did not move as Ryo approached. He had the face mask drawn down, so all Ryo could make out from the mysterious figure was a pair of large brown eyes. Somehow, a faint memory nagged that he'd seen those eyes before, a long time ago, but he dismissed it. "So...I don't know how you found Strata, but I'm grateful. You saved me from having to do it myself." He smiled graciously. "Allow me to extend you an invitation to join the winning side. You can have anything you desire with us, but only death and enslavement await you if you refuse me."  
The warrior did not reply. Those brown eyes did not waver from his face. Ryo frowned. "Surely you don't want to turn me down. I could kill you right here if I wanted and take the armor for myself, you know."  
Still no reply. Ryo smiled, the blue eyes almost alight as he drew his datchi. "I'll take your silence for a refusal, then!"  
Ryo moved toward the still warrior. When he was standing practically on top of the other, the warrior suddenly threw his hands out.  
"Purifying Light!"  
Ryo screamed in agony as the horribly bright light seemed to sear him from within. He slashed wildly with his datchi, but the warrior was already gone, teleported.   
"This isn't over yet!" Ryo shouted hoarsely to thin air. "I'll find you...and I'll kill you..." Then he fell to his knees, hands gripped tightly against his helmet. "My head...what's happening to me?!"  
  
The Master of World's Darkness was silently pondering. ~Strata has been found...and by a user of the holy magics. I thought them all dead...~  
"Twin Slashers," he said softly.  
One of them appeared. "My twin is injured, and cannot come. What does the Master wish of me?" he hissed.  
"Ryo is low on dark energy, and weak. Bring him to me."  
"At once, Master." The twin vanished.  
The Master sat in meditation. ~Whoever this user of holy magics is, he must not be allowed to live. Only one user of the light spells can live. I want the user of Strata dead.~  
  
Setsuna dropped back into Makota's room again, switching back into her subarmor and panting from adrenaline and exertion.   
"I see you figured out that trick," Makota said dryly.  
Haruka practically leapt upon the armored girl in her eagerness. "So, how'd it go? Did you get him? How'd you do?" Then she backed off a bit. "Wait a minute. Why are you giving me that look?"  
"You. Are. Dead." Makota began to laugh as Setsuna began to chase a panicked Haruka around the room.  
"Makota, help! I don't want her to kill me!"  
"I am never listening to you and your suggestions again, Haruka!"  
In Makota's arms, the baby Ryoko giggled, reaching out to the blue garbed woman. "Ah!"  
  
"Look, I think he's coming round!"  
Cale looked into Cye's face as the Ronin weakly opened his eyes. "Did I get him?" he asked.  
Nearby, Kento laughed. "Would you listen to him? He almost dies for the umpteenth time, so we have to dump him in the bay, and the first thing he wants to know when he wakes up is if he finished the job! OW! Owowowowowowowowow! Aeris, that hurts! Don't DO that!!"  
Aeris was less than happy with Kento. "Oh, stop whining, you big baby, and hold still. Any deeper and this would require stitches, so consider yourself lucky. Now let me bandage this before you make it any worse!"  
"But it hurts!" Kento whined.  
Cye laughed as Cale helped him sit up. Jino, who had his arm set and in a sling, was cracking up. "Haw haw haw! The brave ol' warrior whinin' bout a little scratch like that!"  
Kento glared at him. "You want your other arm broken, 'mate'?"  
"'Ey, that's hittin' a little below the belt, doncha know."  
Noting everyone's attention was on Jino, Torie once again tried to sit up. Without even looking, Tsune absently pushed her back down. "No."  
She glowered, picking at one of the many bandages covering her burns and cuts. "I'm going to go stir-crazy just sitting here!"  
"You could polish my pipe for me," Jino offered cheerfully. "Keep it nice and shiny."  
"Ooh, if I could get up, I'd ram that pipe where the sun don't shine!"  
"Don't worry, I'll do it for you," Tsune replied dryly.  
"Whose side are you on?!" Jino protested.  
Torie raised a smug eyebrow at Jino. "Now here's a man who knows how to treat a lady."  
"Hey! That IS hitting below the belt!"  
"Will you be staying long?" Tsune asked Kento.  
The older man shook his head. "As soon as Cye's rested, we'll leave again."  
"Why?" Cale asked suddenly.  
Kento looked at him like he had suffered brain damage from that hit to the head. "We don't want to put these people in any more danger. Did you see the death and injury toll?"  
Cale sat back. "Well, I was thinking..."  
"Don't overdo it. You're injured," Jino quipped.  
Cale grimaced as he adjusted the ice pack on his head. "Don't remind me. Well, it's like this. These people can take care of themselves, whether you think they can or not, Kento. And if they want to fight, we shouldn't just blow them off. You said yourself you needed all the help we could get."  
"But--" Kento protested, obviously reluctant to put others in danger.   
Cale interrupted him. "There's another thing. Ryo, Rowen and Sage aren't the only ones in the Dynasty, you know."  
"There's the Twin Slashers--" Cye stared.  
"But there's also thousands more," Cale said grimly.  
"T--Thousands?!" Tsune demanded.  
"This guy has somehow revived the old Dynasty soldiers, the tin cans," Cale told Cye and Kento. "And sooner or later he's going to send them to Earth. We've got to be ready. We can't possibly handle them all."  
"What about that other one?" Tsune spoke up suddenly.  
"Other one?" Cye echoed, looking at him.  
Tsune furrowed his brow. "I think...I think there's another person with that armor out there. One of the demons called it 'Strata'."  
Cye and Kento looked at each other. "Someone's found Strata?" Kento gasped in surprise.  
"Yeah, but..." Cye frowned. "Is he on our side, or the Dynasty's?"  
Kento snapped his fingers. "Our side. He must be. 'Don't hurt the blue one', right, Aeris?"  
The girl was staring off into space, not listening. Kento shrugged, deciding not to interrupt her. "She had a vision before the battle started. I think Strata must be on our side."  
"I can't speak for the others," Tsune began quietly. "I'll have to ask them. The only person I can speak for is myself. And I say, let them come. I'll help you!"  
"Me too, soon as I get over this bum arm," Jino jumped in.  
"Count me in," Torie agreed immediately.  
Aeris suddenly seemed to snap out of her trance. "Before a rebirth must come a death," she said quietly. 


	5. Timeline: +10 years

Timeline: +10 years  
  
Aeris woke and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stepped outside. Nearby, she could hear Cale barking out orders to the group currently in training. "C'mon, put your back into it! You're not even trying. You've got to do better than this if you want to want to save the world."  
WHAP!  
The boy, a well-built brunette, dropped his bo and rubbed his wrist. Cale put down his bokken. "Did I break your wrist?"  
"No, I don't think so, sensei."  
"Good. Everyone, sit down for a moment." Cale looked them over. How to make them understand...? "People, I've been a warrior all my life, and that's a lot longer than it looks. Don't ask me how old I am--"  
One of the boys raised his hand. "How old are you, sensei?"  
"I'll ignore that. My point is, this guy that we're up against has already defeated me and three others like me. This isn't going to be easy for any of us."  
"Then how do we win, sensei?" an older woman asked.  
"You don't. That's what I and the others have to do. When we go in, you have two jobs. One is to take down as many of those tin cans as possible."  
"What's the other, sensei?"  
"Stay alive."  
There was a pause. "Much as I'd like to see you all come back safely, I know it's not going to happen. A lot of you will die. It's my duty to make sure you get the skills needed to do both of these jobs to the best of your abilities. Let's review. Who is the enemy?"  
"Dynasty soldiers, sensei," a redheaded boy with a reedy tenor voice piped up.  
"Weapons?"  
"Kusari-gamas and spears," a tough looking teenage girl replied promptly.  
"How do they fight?"  
"Offensively, with no regard to personal defense," a burly man answered.  
"And how do you defeat them?"  
"Have no fear, block their initial attack and penetrate their defense," a scrawny kid with glasses replied.  
"Good." Cale nodded to a curly-headed blonde girl, a petite and perky beauty. "You next. Don't hold ba--"  
Aeris burst out laughing as Cale sat down with a bump, rubbing his sore head. "Well, you asked for it, Cale!"  
"Yeah, I know--Itai!" he yelped as the girl hit him again.  
"You're not supposed to let down your guard, sensei!" she chirped merrily.  
Cale laughed and got to his feet, avoiding her next swipe. "That's the spirit!"  
Aeris giggled again and looked around for Kento. The large man was deep in conversation with Tsune. As she watched, he turned and got up, staring off into the distance.  
"Hey, Kento," she said as she joined him. He didn't appear to notice her. She tried again, tapping him on the arm. "Kento?"  
He started slightly, jolting back into reality. "Hm? Oh, hi, Aeris."  
"What's on your mind?" she asked gently.  
"Nothing much," he stated.  
She tilted her head. "You seem sad."  
"I was just thinking...I kind of feel like I'm doing Sage's job with all this planning and such." He got that faraway look in his eyes again.  
"You miss him?"  
"It still hurts," he said softly. "I don't suppose it will ever stop hurting, really." He gave her a tired half-smile. "When we were younger, Sage and I never agreed on strategy. He always wanted a plan, while I just wanted to 'go in half-cocked', as he put it. Now, I'm the one with all the plans."  
She patted his arm. "Don't worry, Kento, things will get better, trust me!"  
He nodded distractedly. "Aeris..." he said slowly.  
"Yes?"  
He paused, then shook his head. "Forget it. Let's go find Cye."  
  
Ryo closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax, sinking slightly into the futon.   
~You'll never win.~  
Ryo frowned. That voice, the voice in his head that wouldn't leave him alone. "What do you want?"  
~I'll never stop fighting you! One day, I'll be free from this evil influence...And then I'll kill him. I know his weakness. I know how to kill him.~  
Ryo laughed softly. "I'm sure you do. You're hardly in a position to do anything, you know. It's only a matter of time before I'm rid of you like I was before."  
~Never!~  
He turned over, a thought coming to him. "Once Earth is conquered, these silly women here will be of no use to me. I think I'll dispose of them all."  
~You monster!~  
Ryo smiled. This inner voice had no secrets from him. "And why do you care?"  
The voice was silent. "I knew it," Ryo smirked. "You care about them."  
~You're a murderer,~ the voice said coldly. ~You kill just for pleasure.~  
"Why, thank you."  
He turned over, settling in to sleep. Once this war was over, he could take the time to eliminate that troublesome voice for good. Curse that Strata warrior who had spelled him. Ah well, he'd kill him as well. Everything was going according to plan.  
  
"We need to think ahead," Cye was saying as Kento and Aeris stepped into the tent.  
Tsune nodded as they came in. "Hey, guys, where's Cale?"  
"The usual," Aeris said.  
Torie rolled her eyes. "Does he ever stop? I feel sorry for his trainees."  
"Ahhh, I'll fetch him," Jino said, stretching lazily and leaving. There was a pause and mummering voices, then a crack followed by a yelp. Jino came in limping. "Geeze, no one told me Psycho was gonna ATTACK me!!"  
Cale followed. "You should be more alert."  
"Well, scuuuuuuse me," Jino grumbled. "Sneak up on you sometime, see how you like it."  
"I wouldn't recommend it."  
"And why not?"  
"Because you might catch me off guard."  
"Well, dur! Isn't that the point?"  
Cale looked at him. "I catch you off guard, you get hit. You catch me off guard, I kill you out of reflex before I realize it."  
"Aaaaahhh..." Jino appeared to be thinking that one over.  
Cale took a seat. "So what is it?"  
Tsune nodded to Cye. "Cye thinks it's time we discussed long term strategy. I agree."  
"We can't just stay here and get pounded day after day," the tawny haired British man said. "Sooner or later, we're going to have to attack this guy directly at his stronghold."  
"And how are we supposed to do that, exactly?" Torie asked. "I was under the impression that this stronghold was in another world altogether."  
"It is." Cye looked over at Cale. "Do you think you could open a gate to the Nether Realm?"  
He stroked the vertical scar along his cheek in thought. "I don't know, Cye. I really don't know."  
"We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," Kento chimed in. "I think we need to worry more about what we're going to do when we get there."  
"What do you mean by that, Kento?" Aeris queried.  
Tsune nodded. "I think I know what you mean. The demons are quite a match for you three. If you manage to kill them, you'll have the leader to deal with, and who knows how powerful he is."  
Kento paused. "Tsune," he said gently. "there's something you should know about the demons."  
"What?" Tsune said, a bit nervous.  
"The demons..." Kento began, "aren't really demons. They're human, with armors like ours."  
Tsune shook his head. "No. No human could be so cruel, or-"  
Cye interrupted, pulling something out of his pocket. "Here. Take a look at this, Tsune."  
Tsune accepted the worn paper and unfolded it. It was a photograph, creased and browned with age. Torie and Jino peered over his shoulder as he examined the picture. The subject was five teenaged boys in green school uniforms. Tsune recognized a younger Cye on the left and Kento in the bottom right corner.  
"Wow, you guys were really hot when you were younger," Torie commented.  
"..." every male in the room said.  
"What? It was a compliment!"  
Tsune traced a light finger across the picture, gazing at a blue eyed, black haired boy seated between Cye and Kento. He sucked in a breath. "The red demon..."  
"Wha? No way!" Jino squinted at the picture.  
"His name is Ryo," Cye said softly. "He was our friend."  
"And these...?" Tsune tapped a finger on the two behind Kento. "The other demons."  
"I think you're right," Torie said.  
"The blue haired one in the middle with his jacket off is Rowen. The blonde in the top right corner is Sage," Cye told him.  
Tsune looked up at Cye and Kento. "How...?"  
Kento had his eyes closed, lost in painful memories. "Ryo was captured by those creeps. They turned him against us. Sage and Rowen were actually killed several years ago, but they brought them back to life." He opened his eyes. "I don't know, guys...If this guy can keep Ryo under his thumb, who knows how much power he's got..."  
"If we could turn Ryo and the others back to us, we might have a chance," Cye said. "But we've already tried so many times..."  
"We need more power to win," Kento said softly. "Cale, how are the trainees doing?"  
He shook his head. "I need more time. They're still not good enough. What about that Strata warrior?"  
"We can't count on him," Kento said. "We haven't even seen him that much. And we don't know what his real motives are."  
Cale pounded a fist on the table. "If only there was something more we could do!"  
"Cale?"  
Cale looked up...and almost fell out of his seat. "Anubis! What are you doing here?"  
"Huh? Anubis is here?" Both Cye and Kento looked around. "I don't see anything."  
Jino scratched his head. "Took too many hits to the head, I see..."  
"Hush," Tsune said.  
Aeris shook her head. "Someone else is in this room...Where is he, Cale?"  
The blue haired warrior pointed. "Right there! Can't you see him?"  
"It won't do any good," Anubis said. "No one can see or hear me except you."  
"Oh. Never mind. He says you guys can't see him. Er, why, Anubis?"  
Jino muttered "cuckoo" under his breath, then yelped when Torie hit him. Anubis smiled slightly. "No offense to Torrent or Hardrock, but you are my friend."  
"Oh. Well, why are you here?"  
"I'm here to help you," Anubis said seriously. "I can't see the future, but I think you are right when you say you don't have enough power to win."  
"What can you do?"  
"There were three treasures," Anubis stated softly, "used during the fight with the Dynasty that have been lost."  
"The Jewel of Life?" Cale asked.  
Anubis shook his head. "That has been lost, I don't know where. There was the shajuko of the Ancients, which returned to the shrine on Earth where I found it once peace had been acheived in the Nether Realm. There was also the Starlight Swords, which fell to earth after Talpa's hold on Kayura was broken. They were found by an antiques dealer. Finally, there are the Soul Swords of Fervor. While they are meant to be used with the Inferno armor, they are physically separate, if you recall, and stored in a different place. I think it is very important they be kept from Wildfire as long as he is on the side of darkness."  
"Can you help us?" Cale said seriously.  
"I can. I will lead you to the treasures."  
Cale stood up. "Guys, we're going on a quest!"  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone here!" Kento said, raising his hands. "Cale, you're going to have to fill us in. We're only hearing half the conversation here, remember?"  
"Anubis is going to lead us to the other treasures we used when we fought long ago," Cale said impatiently. "Come on, let's go!"  
"Someone should stay here in case we get attacked," Kento said. "I'll stay. The rest of you go."  
"Kento, are you sure?" Aeris said doubtfully.  
"Don't worry," Kento said with a trace of his old cockiness. "I'll handle them. This is important, so you guys get going!" He gave her a pat, almost knocking her over.  
Cale gave Kento a grateful look as the others rose. "All right, let's hit the road!"  
  
"AwRIGHT!" Jino yelled as the six headed outside. "I get to use my wheels!"  
"Jino's had this obsession with cars and racing since he was little," Tsune explained.  
Jino yanked back a sheet, revealing a sky blue convertible. "Ain't she a beaut? Okay, everyone hope in. Three in front, three in back."  
Aeris and Cale sat in the front while Torie, Tsune and Cye piled in the back. Jino hopped in the driver's seat, revving it. The car came to life with a pleasant purr. "Whee!" Areis yelled.  
Torie raised an eyebrow. "We haven't gone anywhere."  
"I was just being prepared."  
Tsune calmly fastened his seatbelt. Jino slammed his foot down on the pedal. With the exception of Tsune and Torie who had also thought to put on her seatbelt, everyone was thrown to the side as Jino pulled a neat 180.  
"Are you trying to get us killed?!" Cale yelled over the sudden roar of the engine.  
"Ahh, quit yer whinin', I'm drivin' here!"  
With the exception of a few tight corners, the drive was pretty smooth after the initial acceleration. That is, until someone jumped out into the road.  
"Holy CRAP!" Jino hit the brakes, throwing the car into a controlled spin, but it was still going plenty fast when it impacted on the person.  
Cye blinked as a piece of...metal? went flying by. "Heads up, Cale, it's a tin can alert!"  
"They don't give up, do they?" the scarred man growled as he switched into full armor.  
"I'll take the guys in the front!" Cye yelled. "Supah Wave Smashuh!"  
"Keep yer paws of mah car!" Jino yelled at the Dynasty soldiers, shaking a fist.  
"Just keep driving!" Cale threw a Thunderbolt Cut behind the car, taking out a squadron. He risked a glance to the front of the car. Anubis seemed pretty much unperturbed by the rough ride; he called to Cale, "We're almost there!"  
"If ya don't have yer seatbelts on, I suggest you do that now!" Jino floored it; the car leapt forward at a top speed that apparently had not already been reached.  
"Aieee!" Aeris yelled.  
"We're outa here!"  
  
Setsuna cried out as the pot tipped over, spilling its scalding hot contents. The reason it had spilled was because of the loud THUD that resonated through the Nether Realm followed by a minor earthquake. "What in the world...?"  
Haruka was clinging to the doorway. "Dear kami...that was one honkin' big spell!"  
"A spell?" Setsuna said weakly. When Haruka nodded, she demanded, "Where's Ryoko?"  
"With Makoto..." Haruka followed Setsuna as the woman brushed past her and out of the room.  
Setsuna ran the distance to Makota's room...and screamed. The room was caved in. "Makota! Ryoko!"  
"Mama?" The little girl toddled up from the darkness of the hallway.  
"Ryoko!" Setsuna scooped her up, checking her for injury. "What happened? Where's Auntie Makoto?"  
The girl petulantly stuck a thumb in her mouth. "Auntie Makoto send me out here...she no wan' be disturb! Lookit, Mama, I found toy!" The child held up a bead.  
"Yes, that's nice," Setsuna said worriedly. "Where's Auntie Makoto, Ryoko?"  
The girl pointed into the dusty room. "Wha happen?"  
Haruka was digging around in the ruins, searching for the silver haired woman. "Makota? Makota!"  
A slight groan caught Ryoko's attention. She squirmed in her mother's arms, pointing. "Mama..."  
"What?" Setsuna let the toddler down, ahd she wandered over to a pile of rubble, pushing a rock aside. A thin hand lay underneath.  
"Oh, gods, Makota..."   
Haruka knelt and began digging with a frantic energy. "Makota, hold on..."  
The woman's eyes seemed to stare past them. "Dear kami...the power...can there be any hope for the mortal world?"  
"Just calm down and save your breath, Makota," Haruka said harshly. "Setsuna!"  
Setsuna placed a hand on her. The woman's aura felt numb, as if wrapped in something, and she felt like she was slipping into shock. "There's some foreign magic...Oh gods...I don't know if I can heal her..."  
"Yes, foreign magic..." Makota seemed to hear Setsuna. "The nova...it has been used...I was caught. Sage and Rowen...they now have power...Be careful, Setsuna."  
"No, please hold on, just a little bit." Tears fell from her eyes. How come she could never save the lives of those she loved?!   
Makota let out a slight sigh and shuddered, slipping into death. Setsuna let out a choked sob, still clinging to the dead woman's hand. Haruka silently put a comforting hand on her shoulder, out of things to say for once. Neither of them noticed the pair that passed. Ryoko did. Her large blue eyes, like those of her father, never left them as they walked by. "Bye bye," she said quietly.  
  
"The Master and Ryo have unlocked the power of the other two," the first Twin Slasher said quietly.  
"He has. It has made us irrelevant."  
The first nodded agreement. "We aren't needed anymore. Most likely they will be leading the foreign campaigns from now on."  
"I suppose in the eyes of the Master we were nothing more than temporary workers, anyway."  
"So what do you propose we do about this?"  
Both twins could sense the other's thoughts. The question was purely rhetoric. "We shall preserve our honor."  
"Agreed."   
It was over in a flash; both twins had their swords out and embedded in the other's stomach. The last words that left their lips was the name of the other. The name was never known to anyone other than the twins themselves; it was a secret that would never be known.  
  
"By the gods, I didn't think I was going to make it here." Cale was tempted to kiss the ground.  
"Oh, shut up," Jino sulked. "My driving's not that bad!"  
"It is too, but that's beside the point. Is this really it?" Tsune said, peering into the deserted shop.  
Cale looked to Anubis, who nodded. "It's here all right."  
"What exactly are we looking for?" Cye asked.   
"I'm really not sure," Anubis said to Cale. "One of the treasures is here, but I don't know which one..."  
"We don't know," Cale said to Cye.  
"Great. That makes the job a little easier."  
Jino poked through the shop. "Dude! A record player! Didn't know any of these things still existed!"  
Torie peered on a shelf. A couple of sais were resting there. "Cool," she mummered to herself as she stuck them in her belt.  
Tsune tossed around a rubber duck in his hands. "So what exactly are we looking for?"  
"The Ancient's staff, the Starlight Swords, or the Soul Swords of Fervor," Cye muttered to himself as he tripped over a box of books. "Nothing in here resembles a sword or staff..."  
After two hours of searching, the group was starting to get discouraged. Cale stepped out o the dusty store with a cough, running a hand through his dirty hair. "This is hopeless. We've already scoured the store three times over. There's no place those things could have hidden left. Anubis, are you sure?"  
"I'm sure!" he insisted.  
Cye sighed and flopped down next to Tsune. "This is impossible."  
"We can't give up, not if it'll help us win this war," he said seriously.  
Cye shrugged and looked over at the others. Then he stopped. "Torie, what's in your belt?"  
"Eh? A couple of sais I found on a shelf," she said with a shrug.  
Cale was upon her in an instant. "Those're Kayura's jitte! Torie, why didn't you tell us you had these?"  
"You said we were looking for swords!" she protested.  
Cye laughed. "So we did. Torie, those jitte are the Starlight Swords."  
"..."  
"Ah, forget it," Cale sighed. "We found them, now let's get a move on!"  
  
Kento was lounging around rather lazily. The cooks, on the warning of Cye, had refused to let him into the kitchen, and that was pretty much the only thing running right now. He got to his feet, rather bored, and decided to go help fetch water. Sighing to himself, he looked up at the sky as he filled the bucket. ~It's so blue and peaceful. You wouldn't know there's a war going on down here.~  
"Ouch!" He felt a sudden sting in his ankle. Looking down, he saw a small snake slither away. "Dumb snake..." He rubbed the bite. After the initial sting, it didn't hurt at all, and Kento didn't think the snake was a poisonous kind, but it was probably a good idea to have it looked at anyway.  
A sudden scream jolted him out of his thoughts. Switching into subarmor, he ran back into the camp. ~Don't tell me they were waiting for me to leave!~ He was slightly relieved to find that only Rowen and Sage were on the scene; Ryo was nowhere to be seen. "Gee, you're pretty brave, attacking defenceless people...Why not try a real challenge?"  
"We were waiting for you," Sage hissed as the two leapt to attack.  
  
Ryo looked over at the Master. "They're trying to gain power by using the old artifacts."  
The Master opened one eye. "Yes, I know. The fact that I cannot find the item called the Jewel of Life is disturbing to me. I think it safe to just destroy the artifacts."  
"As you wish, Master." Ryo reached into his powers, connecting them with that of the Master.  
~No! You can't!~  
Ryo frowned. Why did that voice appear at the most inconvenient times? ~You can't do anything. Go away.~ He pulled the Master's power through himself, absorbing the dark energy. He smiled to himself as he heard the inward voice scream in pain. He began to chant. The Master added his voice to Ryo's. There was a sudden bright flash, then all was dark again.  
"It's done," Ryo stated simply. "I've put a seal on the two artifacts; they're too powerful to destroy. All will think they're destroyed, however. The Starlight Swords are easily destroyable, however."  
"Very good."  
  
Torie suddenly let out a cry as the jiite in her belt began to glow with heat, as if they were melting. Tsune leapt upon the girl, ripping the jitte off her belt and throwing them away from her. He knocked her to the ground and shielded her with his body as the jitte seemed to explode above them. Tsune grimaced as fragments embedded themselves in his shoulders.  
"Tsune, Torie!" Jino wore an expression of shock and sudden panic. "Are you guys okay?"  
"What the heck just happened?!" Cale demanded of Anubis.  
The spirit's eyes were wide. "They've been destroyed. The Starlight Swords are no more...Something's destroyed not only them, but the Soul Swords of Fervor and the shajuko as well! I can sense the change in the astral plane."  
"Holy crap..." Cale moaned. "If that creep could do this..."  
"Tsune..." Torie looked at the blue haired boy's hands in concern. They were burned where the jitte had touched them. "You're hurt."  
"It's not bad. You all right?"  
"Yeah, I think so."  
Jino gently pulled the fragments from Tsune's back, ignoring his winces of pain. "I wouldn't leave something magicked in your shoulder, buddy. These need to come out."  
"Are you okay, Tsune?" Torie said quietly.  
"I'm fine. They didn't go in deep."  
"Let me treat your hands." She gently applied burn cream to his scorched hands and bandaged them. "I would've probably died without your quick action. Thanks, Tsune."  
"Anytime, Torie."  
"Blast!" Cale kicked at a stone. "This is looking more and more hopeless by the minute! What now?"  
He was cut off by a sudden scream. Aeris was staring out over the hill, swaying slightly and screaming in terror. Cye grabbed her. "Aeris, what's the matter?"  
"Kento!" she cried. "KENTO!"  
Cye paled. "Kento's in danger?"  
There was no hope of getting anything further out of the hysterical girl. Jino stood up, his usual merry demeanor replaced by a grim expression. "Get in the car. I'll have us back in no time."  
No one doubted him.  
  
"What's the matter, Kento?" Sage sneered as he made another swipe at the Ronin. "You aren't a bit of a challenge."  
Kento bit his lip as hiw vision seemed to swim. ~What the heck...?~  
Rowen charged him, ramming him in the chest. Kento tumbled back, skidding several feet. He tried to get back up, when he realized something was wrong with his leg. It felt somewhat numb and his ankle throbbed. ~The blasted snake! I bet it was poisonous. Oh, crap...~  
"And here I thought we were going to get a chance to impress you with our new abilities," Rowen added.  
"New abilities?" Kento panted, forcing himself onto his feet.  
Rowen smiled as his eyes began to glow a bright blue. It wasn't until the wind began to pick up that Kento realized what was going on. ~I'm really in deep this time...~  
Suddenly, the wind seemed to grab him in an invisible grip. Kento winced and tried to wiggle out, but it held him tight as he lifted off the ground. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, it slammed him backwards into a building, throwing him through the wall, it moved so fast. Kento cried out in pain. He attempted to get up from where he had fallen only to have the wind pick him up again. Rowen followed the path Kento traced above the ground, ending abruptly when Kento crashed headfirst into a building. Rowen let him drop.  
Kento moaned as something moved in front of him, blocking the sun. Sage. "Did you like Rowen's little trick, Kento?"  
"If a stupid snake hadn't bitten me, I'd have creamed you," Kento growled.  
Sage looked puzzled for a second, then he laughed. "A simple snake brought you down? I guess you aren't as tough as you thought. And I haven't even shown you my trick yet!"  
~Oh no.~ Kento couldn't hold back a groan of pain as Sage's eyes glowed bright green. Lightning descended from the skies, impacting on Kento's body. He screamed in pain.  
"Die!" Sage said, laughing.   
"Sage..." Possibly the only thing more painful to Kento than Sage's attack was the fact that his former friend was going to kill him. "Sage, please stop..."  
"Don't be ridiculous." Kento couldn't hold on any longer, slipping into the black abyss created by pain. Sage smirked. "Finally, you die. There is no escape for you!"  
A blink of golden light was all the warning Sage had. The arrow penetrated his left eye. Rowen looked up in time to see the blue archer disappear. "Oh, no you don't," he growled, levitating himself into the air and giving chase.  
Setsuna risked a glance behind her. Rowen had risen into the air. She felt a strange tug on her heart and realized the armor wanted to be back with Rowen. ~Sorry,~ she said silently.  
Rowen glared as he exerted his control over the wind, lifting the warrior off the ground. He dragged Strata up to him, staring him straight in the eye. "You little..." He trailed off as he carefully scrutinized the face, partially hidden behind the face mask. Something about that face...  
Setsuna chanted a quick phrase, unleashing a holy spell on Rowen. He cried out and released her, falling to the ground himself in a heap. Setsuna landed in a crouch, walking over and placing an armored hand on his forehead. She sighed. ~Thank goodness that worked...~  
Rowen's eyelids fluttered open as he sat up. "Huh? Where am I? What's this?" He looked in confusion at his armored hands, then at the figure wearing his armor.  
"Rowen Hashiba, listen carefully," the figure said, his voice a mere whisper. "You've been under the effects of a strong brainwashing. Make your way back to your friends Cye and Kento carefully and quickly. But beware of Sage and Ryo, they are still being controlled."  
"Wait, who are you?" Rowen asked. The figure had already left.   
  
Sage hissed in pain, pulling the arrow out of his eye and snapping it. "I'll kill him..."  
Ryo appeared in front of him. "We've got more important things to do. Rowen is loose."  
Sage frowned. "We need to recapture him, and quickly. Come on."  
No sooner had they left than came the sound of tires screeching. Aeris was first out of the car, running straight for the fallen Kento. "Kento!!"  
Cye followed her, tears welling up in his eyes as he cradled his friend's head in his lap. "Kento, I'm sorry, I should have never left you alone..."  
"What happened here?" Tsune called as Cale joined Cye and Aeris.   
"Two of the demons attacked," someone told him. "They're even more powerful than ever. One of them had control over the wind itself! And the other could call lightning from the skies." Tsune cursed.  
"Cale!" Cye looked up pleadingly at him. "You have the armor of Halo, it can heal. Please, help him!"  
Cale bit his lip. "I'll do my best...Kento, can you hear me?"  
The man groaned slightly. "Kento, I need you to switch out of your armor so I can check your wounds," Cale said urgently.  
There was a long pause. Kento didn't reply, but finally the full armor and then the subarmor faded from his form.   
Cale pressed an armored hand against Kento's chest. The man's breathing was labored and slow, his pulse weak and irregular. ~Something's wrong...~ On an impulse, Cale opened Kento's mouth. "His tongue's coated..."  
"What's that mean?" Cye asked worriedly.  
"Poison."  
"What?!"  
"Hey, you hang out with the Warlord of Venom, you learn to recognize these things. It's not too late, yet. Oh, if only Sekhmet was here..."  
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as something touched his mind. A familiar presence...  
Cye watched, silent, as Cale's hands seemed to move independantly from his body, as if he weren't controlling them. A kanji flashed on his head, ko, followed by tei and chi. Then they seemed to flash almost simultaneously, as if Cale didn't know which virtue to show. His hands began to glow with a green light, engulfing Kento. The man stirred, opening his eyes. "Cale?"  
The older man gave Kento a small smile. "Which am I, darkness? Or light?" He swayed slightly before gently falling against Kento.   
"Darkness or light...?" Kento echoed as he caught Cale. "What are you talking about?"  
"Let him rest, Kento," Cye said quietly. "He just saved your life." He took the man from Kento, carrying him into a building and presumably to a bed.  
Aeris leaned against Kento, listening to his heartbeat. It was strong and regular again. "Kento, I was so worried about you!"  
"I'm okay." Kento gently stroked her hair. "Aeris..."  
"Yeah?"  
He was silent for a long moment. "It's just...I had a close call today. I never really know if I'm going to see the sun set tomorrow. And...Aeris, when this war is over, I'd like to know if you would consent to marry me."  
"Kento..." Tears began to fall from her eyes. "Of course I will! I've always loved you." She snuggled against him, head resting on his shoulder.  
"Aeris..." Kento stroked her hair. "I'll do my best to keep living for you."  
"All right, Kento."  
  
Rowen stumbled through the bushes, not really sure where he was going. Something, some sixth sense, was spurring him on in this direction. He paused and rubbed a temple; he'd switched into his subarmor a while back.  
"What's going on?" he said to thin air. "Why am I in Sekhmet's armor and who was that in mine?" He felt the longing, the need to be back with his armor, fully connected to his element. He rubbed a temple; he had a headache the like of which he hadn't had in forever, it seemed.  
He remembered his death. It didn't make sense that he was alive again. ~How much time has passed?~  
A sharp pain went through his chest. Rowen gasped in pain, a hand clutching his subarmor. "What's wrong with me?" he gasped.  
"Rowen!"  
Rowen jerked his head up. He recognized the voice. Sage. But the Strata warrior had said Sage was being brainwashed...could he be trusted?  
"Rowen, come out." The voice sounded closer. Rowen moved behind a rock. "You can't hide from us forever. Even if you escape, we'll have you eventually."  
The voice was not as he remembered it. Sage's voice lacked the calm warmth he used to have; this voice was cold and harsh. Rowen reached into his element.   
Sage looked over as he was buffeted back by a wind. "You can't escape from us, Rowen!" Ryo suddenly appeared, shooting a bolt of flame up the side of the hill where he thought Rowen was hiding. Rowen stopped manipulating the wind in sheer shock. Believing he'd hit Rowen, Ryo began searching the hillside. Rowen turned and ran.  
  
The guard was slightly relaxed, but not much. He didn't think anything else would happen today, with the demons being driven off just earlier, but he was still nervous. When a man crawled out of the bushes, it was all he could do to keep from shooting the man on sight. "Who goes there?"  
"Please, help me," the man panted. "Cye, Kento...are they here?"  
The guard's eyes widened. "How do you know of them?"   
"Please, take me to them," the man begged. "I have to see them!"  
The guard bit his lip, indecisive, then put an arm under the man and half-carried him into the nearest building. He laid the stranger on a couch inside, telling him, "Wait right here, I'll get them."  
  
Cye was the first to enter the room, Kento close behind. "Rowen??"   
The Ronin pushed himself into a sitting position. "Cye?" he said weakly.  
"Rowen!" Cye threw his arms around him, tears beginning to leak from his eyes. "You...you're..."  
"Cye, Kento, ya gotta talk to me," Rowen said. "I don't know what happened...How long have I been..."  
"Six years," Kento said quietly.   
Rowen put a hand to Cye's face. "You guys have aged a lot."  
"It's been a war," Kento said bluntly.   
"Ryo and Sage...they're on the other side, aren't they? They're evil?" Rowen asked quietly. When Cye slowly nodded, he continued. "I was, too, wasn't I? How long have I been that way?"  
"About three years," Cye said quietly.  
Tears began to fall. "Guys...I'm so sorry..."  
"You were being controlled, Ro," Kento said gently. "You couldn't help it. But you're free now, and we'll set the others free, too!"  
Rowen nodded a bit distractedly. "Kento...I-I don't think I have much time left..."  
"Huh? What're you talking about, Rowen?"  
"Kento, I died. I'm still dead...My strength is leaving me. I don't think it'll return. I have a pain, here," he explained, tapping his chest. "When it hurts, I get weaker. I have flashbacks of my death..."  
"Don't worry, Rowen," Cye said reassuringly. "You just take it easy. We'll think of something."  
Cale suddenly poked his head in the door. "Cye, there's a--what the, Rowen!"  
"Chill, Cale," Kento said. "We got it under control. What's happening?"  
Cale turned serious. "And I was wondering where he was. Sage and Ryo are outside."  
"Crap. Rowen, stay here," Kento said as he rose.  
Cale frowned. "I came to get Cye. You still need to rest."  
"Like I'm staying out of this!" Kento was already in armor. "We'll be right back, Rowen!"  
Rowen got to his feet and made his way to a window as the three ran outside.  
  
~Curse that Strata warrior! This must have been his doing,~ Ryo thought to himself. "So, prepared for battle?"  
"We're in better shape than you," Kento pointed out, stealing a glance at Sage. His eye had never bled; now, the wound was a mere annoyance.   
"We're not after you this time, actually," Ryo said calmly. "We've just come to retrieve what's ours. There's no point in hiding it; we know he's here."  
Cye's eyes narrowed. "You're not going to lay a hand on Rowen. He's free from your master's evil influences."  
Tsune had crawled onto the roof, gun in hand, waiting for an opportunity. ~The eyes are a weak spot. If I can hit the demon's other eye...~ He looked behind him. Torie and Jino peeked over, waiting for instructions. He signaled them to have everyone pull back.  
"Then I suppose we will be after you this time," Ryo said mock pleasantly.  
Rowen watched as his friends began fighting each other. "This is wrong..." he mummered to himself.  
Sage brought lightning crashing down from the skies. It was the second shock Kento had taken to the system that day. He half fell over, Cye the only thing keeping him off the ground. "Kento! Are you okay?"  
Ryo was not oblivious to the pink-topped head that poked out from behind a building at the mention of the name. He leapt, landing in front of her. Aeris screamed, backing away, but Ryo grabbed her, putting his datchi to her throat. "Bring Rowen to us, or she dies."  
"Aeris! You dirty, no-good.." Kento growled, leaning heavily on Cye.  
"Exactly. Now do it," Ryo said, pressing the datchi against Aeris's throat hard enough to draw blood. The girl gasped in surprise. "I'm not in a patient mood."  
Aeris met Kento's eyes pleadingly. "Don't do it," she whispered before Ryo jerked her back, slicing her again.  
"I can't," Kento mummered to himself. "I can't choose between Rowen and Aeris!"  
"Let her go, it's me you want," Rowen said quietly as he stepped out from the nearby building. He had switched back into full armor, ready to fight for his life though his face looked drawn and pale.  
Ryo threw Aeris to the ground, grabbing Rowen. Tsune watched from the rooftop. Sliding down a pipe, he grabbed Aeris and dragged her into the alley before Ryo could turn his attention back to her. Rowen twisted and hit Ryo with his elbow, breaking free and running.   
"Rowen!" Cye, Kento, and Cale ran toward him, but Sage was closer. He grabbed Rowen's wrists and forced them behind his back.   
Time seemed to almost stop for Tsune. If he shot, now, he could hit the demon in the other eye and this guy could get away...But he froze. This demon killed his sensei. The gun wavered uncertainly. Then time restarted. Sage teleported away with Rowen. Ryo turned and called tauntingly, "Farewell, brave defenders," before teleporting as well.  
Hot, angry tears of defeat sprang up in Kento's eyes. "Blast!"  
"We'd better get you to a bed, buddy," Cye said gently.  
"It's not fair. He escaped. He was free."  
Aeris approached Kento, eyes downcast with shame. "I'm sorry, Kento. It's my fault..."  
"It's not your fault." Kento gently wiped the blood from her neck.  
Torie and Jino hadn't seen what happened. Both approached Tsune. "Wow, we got off easy," Jino commented as he looked around. "No one was even hurt."  
Torie nudged him meaningfully, looking at Tsune. "Is something wrong, Tsune?"  
Could he have pulled the trigger to help the man that had killed his sensei? He still didn't know. Were they truly monsters, or men, these demons?  
"Tsune?"  
"I'm fine," he said quietly, aware Torie was watching him. "Is everyone okay?"  
"Yo! How you guys holdin' up?" Jino called.  
"We're good," Cale replied. "Kento needs to lie down, though."  
"I do not! I'm fine."  
"I don't feel like saving your life a second time today, Hardrock. You're taking a nap."  
"But!"  
Cye and Aeris laughed a bit, the sound strangely lonely on the half-deserted landscape.  
Kento looked up at the sky. ~Ryo, Sage, Rowen...we will free you someday, I swear it...~  
  
Setsuna slowly made her way back to her small room. The walk through the old, dirty castle seemed to take longer and longer every day. She tried to pick up her pace, imagining her young daughter waiting for her.  
A slight sound from the nearby room caught her attention. Puzzled, she tried the doorknob. Finding it locked, she then proceeded to peer in through the small window in the door.  
Rowen seemed to be suspended in midair, a black aura surrounding him. He was curled into a tight ball, tears running down his face as he stared straight ahead at nothing. "No, please, stop...Sage, Ryo, help me..."  
"I'm sorry, Rowen," she whispered before she left. 


	6. Timeline: +11 years

Timeline: +11 years  
  
Tsune sat on a hillside, looking down at the ruined tapestry of former glory that was once a city in Japan. Now, the buildings crumbled and old relics that could once be called cars or human bodies littered the landscape. Tsune sighed, idly wondering if the rest of the world looked like this.  
Kento joined him, looking up at the sky. "Today's weather is partly cloudy, winds from the north at ten miles per hour, highs expected to go into the mid to upper sixties." He nodded. "A good day to go to war."  
Tsune looked over at him, unsure of whether he was joking or not. Kento looked serious. "It is indeed."  
Kento gestured over his shoulder. "The Council of War beckons."  
"All right, I'm coming." Tsune offered a quick mental prayer. ~Yuli-sensei, are you watching? Today, either you will be avenged or I'll die trying.~  
  
Last night, Cale had called a meeting of the 'ringleaders', as the small resistance referred to Cye, Kento, Cale, Aeris, Tsune, Torie, and Jino. "Take a look at this," he said, putting a charred stick on the table.  
"It's a stick. So?" Jino voiced the opinion everyone was thinking.  
Cale shrugged. "By itself, it's nothing. The importance is that it came from the Nether Realm."  
He had everyone's instant attention. "I raised a gate yesterday afternoon. I took time to scout around a bit."  
"And?" Tsune pressed.  
Cale looked down. "It's much worse than it was. With the exception of a small patch of crops, everything's burned and dead. I can't imagine more than a dozen people living there. Not counting the tin cans, of course. I didn't do any close snooping cause I didn't want to blow my cover."  
"Great job, Cale!" Kento exclaimed. "Let's make a plan--"  
Cye fell out of his seat. "Kento Rei Fuan, I thought you would never say that in your entire life!"  
"Oh, shut up," Kento mock sulked before turning solemn. "Seriously, we know how to get there, now we have to decide what to do when we get there. Too much rides on this."  
Cye nodded. "Cale, do you think you could sketch an approximate layout of the area around the castle?"  
"Sure thing."  
"Then let's get to work."  
  
Now it was day. The day they were going to attack this new Dynasty, or die trying. Torie was giving a pep talk while Jino wouldn't stop singing "One More Time" offkey. Torie debated the satisfaction she would get out of throwing something at him.   
"This way, everyone," Cale said seriously. The group migrated to where a tall red door seemingly rose out of the ground.  
"By the gods, it's huge," one kid gasped.   
Cale looked over at Kento. "Care to do the honors?"  
"All right!" Kento cracked his knuckles with a grin before stepping up to the door. The small group stared in awe as the door moved easily under his grip.  
"Everyone, let's go!" Tsune ordered. The group filed in.  
Cale watched them pass. Most of them he'd trained himself. "There's not even a hundred here. Do they stand a chance against over ten times their number?"  
"If you did your job right, they will."  
"That's not very reassuring," Cale said worriedly.  
Jino popped up. "Have some faith in yourself, man! Anyway, Torie's setting up the archers. We're ready to charge anytime."  
"Give us ten minutes to get around to the back," Cye said. "Then make sure one of your archers 'misfires' into the air so we know the battle's begun."  
"Right ho. Good luck, you guys!"  
"You too."  
"Should I shut the door?" Kento asked.  
Cale shook his head. "Leave it in case they need a quick retreat. Let's go."  
"Kento," Cye said as Cale lead them around the back, "we may have to kill them today."  
"I know."  
"How do you feel?"  
"We'll do everything we can for them, Cye. But if we have to, we will."  
"All right."  
Cale looked up as an arrow whistled through the air. The tin soldiers guarding the top wall turned away for a crucial moment as the battle started. Cale reacted like lightning, the other two right behind. Slipping next to the wall out of sight, he quietly forced a side door open.   
The Ronin Warriors were in the Dynasty's stronghold.  
  
Setsuna was unaware of the battle going on outside. She hummed merrily to herself as she watered a set of pitiful-looking plants that sat on her windowsill. She idly wondered when Haruka would bring Ryoko up. The blonde woman had taken the three year old to play with Hitako, who was a little over nine. It was hard to say for certain how old she was, considering no one knew when her real birthday occured.  
There was a knock at the door. "Yes? Come in," Setsuna said cheerfully.   
The door opened. Ryo stood there, a look of calm, cold fury on his face. Setsuna felt the prickles of fear run down her spine. "Ryo?"  
"I've found you, Strata Warrior." His voice was calm. "The stink of holy magic in your room gives you away!"  
Setsuna grabbed for the armor orb as she fled the room through a side door. Ryo was right behind her, throwing flame. Setsuna switched into her subarmor before slamming the door shut in his face and putting a table against it. He burnt it all to a crisp in an intense flame and gave chase. "I'll kill you!"  
A single thought ran through Setsuna's mind. Ryoko. She had to save Ryoko! Was the child already dead? Haruka had her. She had to find Haruka. Fear for her daughter spurred Setsuna to even greater speeds, putting distance between her and Ryo. She continued running.  
  
"Here, creepy head jerk," Kento muttered as the three moved through the hall.  
"Sorry, he's not in right now." Cale jerked his head at the sound of the voice. "Perhaps we can take your message?"  
Cye took a steadying breath. This was the moment he hadn't wanted to face. The possibility that he might be forced to kill one of his friends. "Where's Ryo?"  
"Don't know, don't care," Rowen said calmly. "We'll finish you off."  
Kento readied his tetsubo. "Cale, leave them to us. This is personal."  
"But--" Cale began.  
"Go!" Kento urged. "Find Kayura."  
"Right..."   
"You'll regret that," Sage said as he drew his no datchi.  
"This time, no one backs down," Cye said seriously. "Either we'll die or you will."  
"Too bad for you, then," Rowen said as he attacked.  
  
Cale ran down the hall. In the old days, this had been a dungeon for keeping people that Talpa used for power. Now, it was overgrown with moss, damp and dark. "Kayura? Kayura, are you down here?"  
A slight noise caught his attention. He looked in one of the cells. The bright black eyes of a large rat peered back at him. Cale was about to turn away when something else in the cell moved, a sodden pile of rags. Cale tried to open the door, then ripped the lock out in frustration and stepped in the room. "Kayura?"  
The seemingly young girl rolled over in a restless sleep. The exposed skin was covered with numerous scars, and she was a pale, thin shadow of her former self.  
~This is all my fault...~ Cale gently picked the girl up and carried her out of the cell and the dim hallway, into light and purer air. "Kayura, are you all right? Say something, please!"  
She mummered something. "Never tell you where they are...just kill me..."  
Cale switched out of his armor, cradling Kayura's frail body to his chest. Tears dropped into her hair. "I'm sorry, Kayura...this is all my fault. If I hadn't run away...if I hadn't been such a coward, you could have been spared this...Please, find it in your heart to forgive me..."  
Kayura's eyes fluttered open. "Cale...? But you're dead..."  
"I'm not dead, Kayura. And neither are you. You're gonna be all right now. Today, this creep dies." Cale's eyes were hardened with a furious determination. "I will not back down."  
Kayura's hand slipped into her bodice. She pulled forth two small round objects. "I kept them safe. They never found them."  
Cale kissed her forehead. "You're a wonderful person, Kayura. You're much stronger than me."  
She nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll help if I can, Cale. Let's go find this..." Kayura trailed off with a list of colorful words describing the Master Cale hadn't even known she knew.  
"Kayura!" he said in mild surprise.  
She blushed slightly and Cale laughed. "It's okay. We're going now."  
  
Haruka looked up in surprise as Setsuna burst into the room in her subarmor. "Setsuna, what the heck--"  
"Get Ryoko out of here!" she gasped. "Ryo knows, he's after me! Save Ryoko!"  
Haruka grabbed the child without wasting a breath. She moved for the other door only to scream as Ryo burst through, flinging Setsuna into the far wall.   
~Setsuna! No, gotta think of Ryoko!~ Haruka made a sprint for the door. Ryo caught her and slammed her into the floor. Haruka cried out as her head hit the floor, knocking her senseless. Ryoko fell from her arms.  
Ryo looked down at the black haired toddler. ~A child? Where did she come from?~ Ryo dismissed the thought. She could die with the two women traitors.  
Ryoko shook her head, then looked up. A bright, childlike smile broke across her face. "Daddy!"  
~Daughter?~  
Ryo's world froze.  
A thousand different thoughts and emotions raced through his head. It was impossible. No, Setsuna had a child, and it was a girl fathered by him, but she had died, could it have been faked? How did this child know who he was, they'd never seen each other! It didn't matter, she had to die! No, I won't kill my own daughter!  
Ryo clutched his head in pain as he fought against himself. HIs face was contorted with pain as the small spark that had once been a person named Ryo Sanada struggled, heedless to the consequences, to keep his daughter alive.  
"Daddy!" Ryoko raised her arms, asking for a hug. Something around her neck began to glow. The bead Ryoko had discovered in a back passage, her only childhood toy. The Jewel of Life.  
Ryo let out a yell that turned into a sigh as the light from the comma-shaped bead engulfed him. He dropped to his knees, then fell to the floor, his long battle over at last.  
Ryoko blinked curiously, then did what seemed to her young mind as the most sensible thing to do. Getting on her feet, she toddled over to her mother and shook her shoulder. "Mama? Mama, wake up!"  
  
Cye winced in annoyance. He did wish his shoulder would stop bleeding already. The rest of his wounds had stopped dripping, but blood continued to pour out of his shoulder down the side of his armor. He backed up against Kento. "How you doing, buddy?"  
Kento spat out a bit of blood. "Not bad. Think they're getting tired yet?"  
"You lost before you ever began," Sage said. "You can't--" He broke off with a cry, as if his soul was being torn asunder.  
"Sage!" Kento put a hand on Cye's uninjured shoulder. "Hold on. It could be a trick." Cye looked over and saw that Rowen was having a similar reaction.  
As suddenly as it had started, the invisible attack ended, and both former Ronins fell to the floor. Regardless of the fact that it could be a trick, Cye ran over to Sage and felt for a pulse. "Sage! Sage, are you okay?"   
Kento dragged Rowen over to Cye and Sage. "What's going on here?"  
"I don't know," Cye said as Sage began to stir.   
His violet eyes opened, the sight Cye and Kento had longed to see seven years ago. "Kento, Cye...you're here..."  
"Sage, buddy, that you?" Kento said softly, grasping his hand.  
"It's over," Sage said quietly. "Something's broken the heart of darkness. We're all free."  
Rowen also opened his eyes. "Cye? You came for me, pal..."  
"Of course I did," Cye said, holding back happy tears. "We're friends, aren't we?"  
"I'm sorry I haven't been such a good friend these past few years."  
"It's not your fault. It's all okay now."  
Sage tightened his grip on Kento's hand. "Kento...we can't stay. We'll leave soon..."  
"What are you talking about, Sage? You're free now. We're gonna beat this guy and go home, and it'll be just like it was before. We're together again."  
"Kento, we're already dead," Rowen said quietly, closing his eyes. "This end has already happened. We've been in this world far too long after our deaths. It's time we moved on."  
"No, you guys can't leave!" Cye began to sob, clutching Rowen to his chest.  
"Kento." He looked over at Sage at the mention of his name. "You have to do something for us."  
"Anything. Name it."  
"Ryo, he's still alive. Take care of him for us."  
"Of course. You don't even have to ask."  
"Thanks, Kento." Sage's eyes were dim, his voice a mere whisper. "You're a good friend." His eyes shut as he breathed his last for the second time. His figure shimmered, then faded as his soul went to the well-deserved rest it had been denied so long, leaving only a small armor orb behind.  
"Cye, Kento." Rowen's voice was soft. "You guys...all of you, you were the world to me...Please, don't ever forget me..."  
"We won't, Rowen. I promise." Cye slipped his pinky finger around Rowen's. A promise for all time. Rowen smiled as he, too, faded from his mortal existence.   
A few tears fell onto the wooden floor. "Sleep in peace, old friends," Kento whispered softly.  
  
Jino let out a hoarse cry as a spear took him in the side. He dropped his gun and fell, trying to fend off the soldier with his pipe.  
BLAM!  
The soldier dropped. Torie ran over to him, gun still smoking. "Jino, you okay?"  
He grimaced as he put a hand to his side. "I think my luck ran out this time, gal...I think..."  
"Don't talk like that," she said harshly, slamming her pipe through a nearby tin can. "You'll be fine, you always are."  
He shook his head. "I guess...think of me when you watch a race, okay? I always wanted..."  
"Jino!" Torie's eyes went from fear and hurt to fury. She turned that fury on the Dynasty soldiers.   
Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Reload. Fire again. The soldiers approaching her began to fall in droves, and yet they still pressed towards her. She fired until she ran out of ammo; throwing her gun at one, she began fighting with her pipe until she fell.  
  
Setsuna was first aware of her back hurting, of somehow being alive still. Her eyes opened blearily to peer into a pair of bright blue ones.  
"Mama!"  
"Ryoko?" Setsuna clutched a hand to her head as she sat up, pulling her daughter into her lap. "Ryoko, my darling, you're all right...Where's Haruka?"  
The toddler resisted her mother's pull, tugging insistently on her hand. "Mama, come. Daddy need help."  
"'Daddy'...?" Setsuna followed the child's line of sight and froze. Ryo lay on the ground a few feet away. She could see the dust stir around his mouth as he breathed in and out. ~How did she know?~  
"Ryoko, we have to leave," Setsuna said hurriedly, pulling Ryoko into her arms.   
The girl resisted. "Daddy!"  
Setsuna drew in a sharp breath as Ryo stirred, eyes opening. She stayed still in fear, but Ryoko wriggled out of her arms and toddled over to him. "Ryoko...!"  
With a groan, Ryo forced himself into a sitting position. He looked down at the girl in surprise, then up at the woman. "Setsuna?"  
The voice might as well have been a different person; it was soft and gentle, not the harsh warrior's voice she'd always heard. She couldn't force her voice to work as she stared at him mutely. Ryoko crawled into his lap with a child's soft giggle. Ryo spoke again. "A daughter...You didn't tell me she lived."  
"You would have killed her," Setsuna said quietly.  
He nodded in reluctant agreement. Setsuna managed to make her way over and sit next to Ryo. She put a timid hand on his shoulder. "The darkness...It's gone."  
He nodded, long hair partially concealing his face. He turned to face her. For the first time ever, she saw him smile. "I'm free." He placed a hand, still in subarmor, on hers. "Thank you, Setsuna..."  
She looked away. "I...I'm just glad you're all right."  
He let Ryoko off his lap. "A daughter."  
"Yes."  
"What's her name?"  
"Ryoko."  
"Like mine?"  
"She resembles you."  
Ryo forced himself to his feet. "Setsuna, take care of Ryoko, please."  
"Where are you going?" She stood, helping him up.  
His eyes were hard. "I have friends I need to reconcile with...and enemies to settle scores with."  
"Let me help you." Setsuna turned as Haruka sat up, clutching her head. "Did anyone get the number of that demon?" Her eyes widened as she saw Ryo. "Setsuna, watch out! He's right behind--"  
"Haruka, it's okay," she assured the woman.   
Haruka looked at her, confused as Setsuna picked up Ryoko and placed her in Haruka's lap. "Watch Ryoko for me."  
"But--she--and--oh, forget it," Haruka snorted.   
Setsuna slipped an arm around Ryo, helping support his weight. "Let's go."  
  
Cale managed to find Cye and Kento. "Are you guys all right? What happened?"  
"We don't need to worry about Rowen and Sage anymore," Cye said quietly.  
"Why, where are they?"  
Cye looked up. "They've returned to their graves."  
"I see. Where's Ryo?"  
"I'm here," a voice came from one of the hallways. Kento's eyes widened. He hadn't heard that voice in five years. Ryo appeared, still partially leaning on Setsuna.  
"Ryo..." The dark haired man smiled. Kento ran to him, almost crushing the other man in a bear hug, tears falling from his eyes. "Ryo, you're all right!"  
Cye joined them, squeezing Ryo almost as tightly. Setsuna backed up a bit, watching the reunion with a smile. "Ryo..."  
"Sorry for all the trouble I've caused you guys," Ryo managed between happy tears of his own.  
"Well."   
The single word, spoken from lips that had never produced kindness to anyone living, had everyone's attention in a moment. Cale tightened his grip on Kayura and drew his no datchi with the other. Setsuna tensed. Kento and Cye moved protectively in front of Ryo, who watched the emerging figure with a mixture of emotions.  
The Master of World's Darkness.  
"Guys." Kento and Cye looked back at Ryo. The man's eyes were narrowed, fixed on the Master. "This is my fight. Let me handle this."  
"You can't do this alone," Kento said firmly. "This is our fight, too."  
"You don't understand. I know how to defeat him. Only I can do this, Kento. You'll just get in my way. Please, let me do this. For our friends."  
"..." Kento bit his lip until blood flowed.   
Ryo turned and looked at Setsuna. "Setsuna..."  
"Yes?" she said softly, approaching him.   
He touched her cheek gently, then leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered quietly in her ear.  
Her eyes widened as tears welled up. "I've always loved you."  
The armored hand ran down her cheek before Ryo turned to his nemesis. He willed the full armor to him before charging. Fire flared up everywhere, turning the hall into an inferno. Kento erected a wall of earth to protect everyone.  
"What do we do now?" Setsuna asked.  
"All we can do is hope," Cye said quietly.  
  
Two figures stood in the middle of the inferno, both watching the other. Finally, one spoke.   
"So, the game ends today."  
Ryo took a step forward. "It does. You'll play with lives no longer." The Master offered an amused smile as Ryo narrowed his eyes. "I know how to defeat you."  
"I'm sure you do," the man replied. "As I'm sure you know the price."  
"You've killed practically everyone I ever knew or loved, you've made me kill so many...I'll hear their dying screams for all eternity. I'll never be able to rest. I have nothing to lose."  
He charged. Ryo charged. And for an instant, the entire world seemed to hang in the balance.  
  
Then, time restarted. The Master of World's Darkness fell to the ground, a flaming datchi thrust through his stomach. Ryo, too, fell, not daring to touch the charred hole in his chest.   
"Any regrets?"  
"None. I told you I have nothing left to lose."  
"Not even love?"  
"What would you know of love?"  
"You'd be surprised, Ryo Sanada."  
Then all was quiet.  
  
Setsuna attempted to take a peek past the earth wall into the raging inferno. "Something's wrong, I just know it..."  
"Ryo wanted us to stay--" Cye began.  
She turned to him, eyes tearful. "He could be dying! And you'll just let him? I'm a healer, I can help him..."  
"I promised Sage," Kento said quietly. "Cye..."  
Cale peered out. "Something's happening. The fire's dying down."  
"Oh, no..." Setsuna stepped out from behind the barrier, and was almost slammed back by the mere force of the fires. A hand touched her arm and Cye stepped in front of her, diverting the fire with a water shield. "C'mon, let's go!"  
The two managed to break through to the eye of the inferno. The first thing Setsuna saw was the Master lying dead with one of Ryo's weapons through him. She couldn't help but feel a little relieved. The second horrified her.  
"Ryo!"  
The warrior was lying face down, tragically still. Setsuna ran to him, turning him over, praying silently for some sign of life. Something had punched through his armor to his chest, leaving a blackened hole. She desperately tried to heal him, tried to force life back into him, even though part of her knew it was far too late. She began to sob, the tears falling onto his face, which strangely held a faint smile. Cye, too, began to cry, silent rivers running down his face.  
The fires finished dying down. Kento ran out, anxious to see what had happened. He found Setsuna clutching Ryo's still body and crying, and Cye kneeling nearby. He knew what had happened. ~I'm sorry, Sage...I broke my promise.~  
Cye turned to Kento, his face drenched. "Kento...Ryo, he..."  
He held up a hand to stop Cye, then placed it on the other man's shoulder comfortingly. When he spoke, his voice was full of emotion and hard-put to keep from breaking. "Let's take him away from here, Cye. He's earned his rest." He gently took the body from Setsuna. The armor vanished off Ryo's form, the orb dropping to the floor with an amazingly loud clatter in the silent room. Cye quietly picked it up.  
Setsuna stood, meeting Kento's eyes. "Please, take me with you. I have nothing left here."  
He nodded.  
  
Outside, the battle had been hard won. Not a single one of the animated armors had escaped the wrath of the small group. Now, those still living were running around, helping the wounded. Tsune carefully bound Jino's wound as the boy came to. "What, now I didn't die. Good show..."  
"Just hold still," Tsune said quietly as he tied the bandage.  
"Wait..." Jino tried to sit up and look around. "Where's Torie? She was here..."  
"She's badly injured, but I think she'll make it if she gets some help," Tsune said quietly. Besides a bad gash above his eye, he was uninjured.  
"Tsune, someone's coming out of the castle," someone told him.   
The boy stood and looked. He could make out the distinctive figures of Kento and Cye. A couple more people seemed to be with them, a dark haired woman holding a child and another leading a nine year old by the hand. Kento was carrying a still form in his arms.  
Tsune met him. "It's over?"  
Kento nodded. "We're going home."  
~It's over.~ The words didn't seem real. ~Were you watching, Yuli-sensei?~  
  
Kento stared into the funeral pyre. Somehow, he thought it appropriate, that Ryo would want to be cremated here, in the house they had all, for a short time, lived happily in together. He could still make out the slight outline of Ryo's body as he finally joined the fire he'd been connected to for so long.  
Cye wiped at his face. He couldn't stop the tears. His heart ached, feeling abnormally empty. He'd never felt so alone. his hand slid along his other hand, rubbing around his pinky finger. ~We won't ever forget, Rowen. I promise.~  
Setsuna had managed to keep her composure until the pyre had been lit. Then she'd lost it, crying uncontrollably. All she could think about was Ryo, his soft, gentle voice in those final hours, the caress of his hand. It wasn't fair. How could fate be so cruel as to leave them such a short time together? She felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Haruka, her friend through all of this. "He'll always be with you," the blonde whispered, strangely serious.   
"Thank you, Haruka." She clutched Ryoko to her. Her child, the only thing she had left of Ryo. He and his kind spirit would live on still. The toddler stared into the fire, fascinated. Around her neck, the Jewel of Life reflected the fire's glows.  
"Rest in peace, Ryo, old friend," Cye said softly. "Your long journey is finally over."  
Kento nodded. Neither of them would leave the pyre until after it had burned out. Even as it burned, down the hill and through the country, life was starting over again. People were rebuilding, remaking. Perhaps, one day, they'd be able to as well. Life often leaves a bittersweet lesson. The only way to learn and recover is to move on with life. The graves resting on the hillside would eventually crumble and fall, but the people that rested in their final sleep beneath them would not be forgotten, as it was promised. Life is painful, life is short, but it's all we have. 


End file.
